“What about me?” [Archives:2001/05/Last Page]

Once I saw the girl, I decided to take her picture. I asked about her mother and was told that she, as usual, left her daughter in one corner of the street and went to ask for alms from shops and beg car owners at the crossroads. What can I say!? I am speechless? Is this happening in the once called, Happy Yemen “Al-Yaman Al-Saeed”? What has gone wrong? Before leaving the girl, I decided to buy her a biscuit so that, at least, she would feel happy for a minute or two.
After I left the scene, the baby’s picture stayed in my memory. Once I arrived at the Yemen Times building, I could not stop myself writing about this little girl, and decided that the valuable space of the last page should be dedicated to this heart-breaking photo and story. I may not be an official, I may not be a decision-maker or a powerful businessman, but I am a journalist whose duty is to deliver the truth, which in this case is sad and devastating. I feel some sense of responsibility towards the public. All I have is my pen, and all I could do is try to make this little girl’s voice be heard. By publishing this picture, I hope that our leadership, our government, and our officials, and everyone in charge of this country’s affairs would remember this little girl, and perhaps regain the humanity they have lost, especially that what she is going through is partially due to their negligence and ignorance. I can’t imagine how they would feel when seeing this photo even though I myself still feel some guilt even though I am not in their position. I hope that this photo would help our decision-makers come back to earth, and rescue the situation that is slowly getting out of hand. It may help our officials wake up from their fantasies and get rid of the illusion that “everything is OK!” No sirs, everything is not “OK”, in fact, nothing is “OK”. It would take little effort and commitment by our decision-makers to know the truth behind this girl and behind many others in thousands and hundreds of thousands suffering children everywhere in the country. All they need to do is get out of their offices and luxurious houses and go to the streets to see the misery for themselves.
If the picture moves any of our officials, and makes him a little concerned, then I would feel that I have done something. Otherwise, I will still feel the guilt. No matter what I say, no matter what I write, I could never speak louder than the picture above. Look carefully, and try to understand..
The picture in reality is even worse as you see a number of men, women, old and young, girls and boys all asking for alms. Food security is practically non-existent in our economy and this in turn intensifies the suffering of Yemeni posing a very hazardous future for our children.
Poverty in Yemen has given rise to many negative phenomena and social hazards including widening the gulf between the haves and the have-nots. Only the rich are now able to enjoy everything they desire which may lead to a social conflict and class war in future. Let us not wait until it happens. Let us wake up and do something before it is too late.
I personally am not asking to stop the officials from what they are doing, either in their preparations for the elections or their regular work. But what I am asking them to do is remember that there is a little girl, sitting on the side of the street as we speak, helpless and still waiting for an answer to be given to her simple and rightful question, “what about me?”

——
[archive-e:05-v:2001-y:2001-d:2001-01-29-p:./2001/iss05/lastpage.htm]