stories behind each photo

i'm kind of bored right now. i have nothing to do, nothing to read, nothing to eat, nothing interesting to look at... btw i don't understand wtf my mum has to start storing all my novels in enclosed boxes way before we actually move to the new house. a tad irritated.

argh, but anw, in my quiet desperation to find stuff to do, i suddenly remembered a picture which haunted me and a lot more other people. the picture that won Kevin Carter the Pulitzer Prize in 1994:

depicting of the famine in sudan - vulture preying on a bone-thin baby girl as she struggled to make her way to the feeding centre.

fate of the baby girl is unknown. all kevin carter can do at that point of time is to drive away the vulture and watch her continue her struggle.

this photo struck a cord in everyone who sees it, forcing them to sympathise with the situation in sudan, somewhere so far, yet so near. it's a great accomplishment to able to hold the hearts of modern people who have been too preoccupied with their contemporary, materialistic lifestyle. yet this photo does not bode well for everyone. Kevin Carter commited suicide shortly after his award due to depression from a combination of different factors.

this struck me to think about how stories are being told in every photo and what actually goes on behind the scene. for a photo to be able to produce such a loud thump in people's hearts so distant from the situation, i can't imagine the magnification of the effect of the image on the photographer himself during his photographing. photography is not only about improvement of technique but also psychological struggle as the photographer has to be mentally strong to produce a mind-raging image, ready to tell the whole world a neglected story.

i sincerely hope that people will still keep this image and many others like the Afghan girl in their minds to remind them of the the less fortunate people in the world. and maybe start doing something for them. i know i will.

We don't want war- can't take no more
It's drastic time for sure
We need an antidote and a cure
Coz do you really think Mohammed got a problem with Jehovah
We don't want war ?imagine if any prophet was alive
In current days amongst you and I
You think they'd view life like you and I do
Or would they sit and contemplate on why
Do we live this way, act and behave this way
We still live in primitive today
Coz the peace in the destination of war can't be the way
There's no way, so people just be a woman, be a man
Realize that you can't change the world by changing yourself
And understand that we're all just the same
So when I count to three let's change

(taken from Union by BEP)

everything starts with the individuals