Page 74 - 文理書院Cognitio Collage 2018-19

Family burden is heavier

than bricks

5R1 5C (15) Lo Pui Yiu, Hazel

This is one of the photographs that I took in Shan Dong last summer. The
picture shows an eight-year-old girl holding a lot of bricks above her head. She
actually sweated a lot since the bricks were heavier than her tiny body. She
put much effort on her work just for very low wages to help feed her family.

The girl was called Janet. Her father died last year because of heart disease.

Her mother has been sick for several years. She needs to be a child labour to
help feed her mother since she is the only child of the family. I feel sorry for
her as she cannot be as innocent as the other eight-year-old children because
she has so many burdens to bear.

The Giver

This is the most memorable photograph that I took in Vietnam last Autumn.
A little girl looks after a baby girl, but the baby is not her sibling. She is a domestic

helper.

She dropped out of school when she was six since her family could not
afford the school fee. Therefore, she became a child labour - the babysitter.
I am sympathetic to her. She is a child only. She needs to count on her family

and friends when she feels upset and when she gets into trouble, just like
other children. But she has to be independent since she needs to look after
the baby and finishes all of the domestic duties by herself. It is actually hard
for adults but she is just a child. But I feel proud of her for her kindness. She
always smiled gently when she was hugging the baby on the day I saw her.
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