It was the
Madagascar national holiday. Street vendors were selling a variety of
handcrafts and festive snacks in the city square. In particular, the ice-cream
stand drew a crowd of children. Among them was a little boy with dirt-stained
face and holes in his sweater. Unlike other children queuing up with their
parents to buy ice-cream, he could only stand and watch. He was one of
thousands of street children in the capital of Madagascar.
In the end, the only way that the ice-cream seller could drive him away was by giving him a free cone. Though the homeless boy finally got what he wanted, he had traded it with his dignity. Even when he was eating the ice-cream, there was great shame and fear in his eyes.
To me, ice-cream had always been traditionally associated with happiness… but that view was no longer valid when I saw this photograph. This little boy reminds us all that there are countless children out there who are waiting for our help. We must do more to bring the dignity and childhood back to the children… back to where they ought to belong.
- Joe
馬島國慶的那天，團隊跟著孤兒院院長去趁熱鬧。沿路上看見很多遊人，有的一家大小，有的三五知己；街的兩旁繽紛多采，有食物，有遊戲，有各種貨品的攤檔，還有街頭表演，正如在各地的嘉年華；只是每個攤檔都比較小型，賣的也不是什麼貴價貨。
其中最多孩子圍著的一個攤檔是雪糕車（不是汽車，是手推車）。他們的雪糕甜筒杯特別的小，雪糕球也很小；我們只是看，哪敢試，恐怕拉肚子，因為對雪糕的冷藏、衛生和處理手法不夠信心；但孩子們卻興高采烈地要買。
然而就在雪糕車不遠，看見兩個穿著襤褸的孩童，他們不是跟著父母、大人，他們在人群中穿插，期待得點吃。每個食物攤檔的人都不想這些孩子走近；但他們也是孩子，他們也想吃雪糕。終於他們手拿一個雪糕，大個一點的孩子慌忙地吃，小的卻有點不好意思，而且眼中有淚。雪糕仍是甜的，但被人斥喝、被人打發離開而得到一點吃，心情卻是酸的。為一杯雪糕，卻賠上人的尊嚴，還留下心中陰影⋯⋯
- Violin
