War photo

In this school, there were no fans, no chairs, no tables and no money. The only thing it had were a few black children, stricken with poverty. They did not wear any clothing and were so thin and malnutrition that they looked as if standing straight was a challenging task. The limbs of those boys were just literally skin and bones, with thighs thinner than an average man’s wrist. If you just looked at their stomach, you might think that they are obese, but the truth was that their stomach was bloated, caused by a prolonged period of lack of food. These children had a bloated stomach exactly like a balloon: Large when seen on the outside, but empty in the inside. In areas like this, wars have made them different from other children. A bowl of rice may be the best gift for them, for they do not hope for toys, but they hope that they will not starve to death.

There was a boy that was special. He had clothing, but it was torn. He was taller, but as skinny as the others. He was most likely older than the rest, but these were not the things that made him truly special. He was an albino. He was white, from head to toe, with the exception of his eyes. He placed his hands on his knee, and bent down, as if he was a frail old man that had problems standing up straight. He was holding on to a can, and he placed it near his face, as if it was of utmost importance. A can of food may save his life.

Despite the dirty floor, the children did not have shoes, for one simple reason: If they spent money on shoes, they would not be able to live to wear the shoes. They did not smile at all, their faces depicting all sought of negative thoughts. This was unlike other kids of the same age, where they played all day and night, and were cheerful and hopeful. These children had a common, unmistakable characteristic: They were all pessimistic. In the hearts of every single one of them, fear and hunger were always present. Due to the war, these children had lost their playfulness, lost their childishness, lost their cheerfulness, and most importantly, lost their childhood.