On 12th July, an aspiring photographer was walking around the streets of Bukit Bintang when he noticed a homeless woman with a little child. He then spent 20 minutes to take this shot.
Source: reddit
As he was trying to take that shot, he noticed that the interaction between the woman and the child seemed genuine, unlike those beggars working for syndicates that you sometimes see on the streets. He felt that to be a photographer, it was essential for him to know his subjects.
He approached her and asked her for her story. The first thing out of her mouth was “I got thrown out of the house yesterday.”
She then divulged the rest of her story to him. She was thrown out of her house by her unemployed husband who plays mobile games all day. He never contributed anything while she was the one paying rent and bills every month. They argued constantly and recently, to the point of violence. He told her to leave the house and to not take anything.
Source: reddit
She left the house with daughter in hand and a few bags of clothes and stationery. She said that she feels happier living on the streets because she has been dealing with this for most of her married life.
Her husband even forbade her to take her daughter’s birth certificate, which she had to go and reprint. She also filed a police report but doubts it’ll be of any use. It was said that she even had to pay for 3 different appeals and reports with whatever cash she had, even after explaining that she was homeless! Oh no!
The photographer then asked if she had any plans regarding her new lifestyle, to which she answered that when her daughter is in school (Thank God the teacher allows her to stay longer), she will be searching for odd jobs such as becoming a cleaner in mamaks and eateries. For now, she’ll have to beg around the Kuala Lumpur area as she looks for jobs.
Source: reddit
According to the man, she is said to be a very strong woman who has her own ideals. As she needed to move to the next spot, the man could only manage to give her a bit of cash and his jacket to the daughter. When he asked to take a portrait shot, she declined as she was afraid that her husband would find her should he come across the photo.
He posted this shot on Instagram with the caption:
The most important thing was that they still had hopes in their eyes, despite all the pain and suffering they went through, they had hope for a better future.
So guys, if you see this mother and daughter pair around, please help them however you can, by monetary means or things such as clothing or toys, even better if it is a job offer! As part of a community, we need to look out for each other and to help the needy when possible. Thank you!
Also read: Viral Photo Of Father & Daughter Sharing Bak Kut Teh With Homeless Man Praised by Netizens
