She had lived this way for 2 years, since she was 7!

Josimene and the photojournalist Gigi Cohen

Haiti, a nation of only eight million people, is home to some 300,000 restavecs -– young children who are frequently trafficked from the rural countryside to work as domestic servants in the poverty-stricken nation's urban areas.

Parents send their children away, often to wealthy looking strangers, hoping that they will be fed and educated in exchange for performing domestic work.

As poverty and political turmoil in Haiti increases, human rights observers report that the number of restavecs continues to rise dramatically.

Documentary photographer Gigi Cohen spent a month in Haiti photographing Josiméne, a 10-year-old restavec. Cohen's is one of 11 stories that are part of Child Labor and the Global Village: Photography for Social Change, a project of The Tides Center and Julia Dean & Associates.

Cohen's month with Josiméne evolved into more than a simple assignment –- the two forged a close relationship. Freelance producer Rachel Leventhal asked Cohen if, in addition to her photographic assignment, she would also make recordings for the radio. Using Cohen’s recordings, she tells Josiméne's story.

Josiméne lives in a two-room cinderblock house outside of Port-au-Prince. Her parents, who have seven other children, are small farmers in Haiti's remote and mountainous heartland.

Among her other duties, Josiméne cares for two younger children, cleans the house, washes dishes, scrubs laundry by hand, runs errands and sells small items from the family's informal store. She has lived this way for over two years, since she was seven. It has been over six months since she has seen her family.

From http://www.npr.org/

The violence, exploitation and abuse experienced by children all over the world takes many forms, including corporal punishment, harmful traditional practices, hazardous labor, sexual exploitation, trafficking, association with armed groups and forces, and needless placement in prisons and institutions - UNICEF publication: Progress for Children: A Report Card on Child Protection (No. 8)

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

Eid ul-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidilfitri as is popularly known in this country that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, fell on 10th September this year. A family tradition that we have kept for many years now is to invite friends and relatives to the house for a small celebration. It is heartwarming to know that many of them still make time for me and my family.

Food laid out for our guests

My elder son Feris - waiting for the guests to arrive or just couldn't tear himself away from the television...?

My seond son Farouk, an expert in posing for the camera, a result of years of experience as a advert talent...?

My first guests-Daisy, Siew Hong and Harvey from our EPU days! Ya...those were the days....

My daughter Deedee and her friend Naem.

One of my dearest friends Meng Foon and her daughter Meilisa. They can win the Mother-Daughter Lookalike contest hands down!

My angelic daughter-in-law and her mum in the background.

My daughter-in-law's parents, a beautiful and loving couple Zahari and Sharma.

Four of my most favourite people L-R: Iskandar Lim and his wife Nor, sister Wan Lan and her husband Ching.

My daughter's very good friend Yin Li and her bf. She had been coming to the house every Hari Raya without fail since in her early teens. Now all grown up and going steady.

My daughter and another of her very good friends, Joan, a very successful and capable career woman now. How fast they grow up!

Loving couple PN Tan and wife Suzanne

Our beautiful Helen.

Ethalene (Mrs Teo), having an alone moment.

What is Mr. Teo up to...? Got to check with Ethalene...heh...heh...

The many generous gifts brought by my guests

Not exactly a cat lover, me

People who are either afraid of cats or who do not like them will give themselves away if a cat approaches them. Rather than shy away from such people, cats often approach people who are afraid of them or who dislike them, but without making any obvious attempts to be stroked or made a fuss of. Cats that come up against people who are not favourably disposed towards them will often just sniff people and keep their distance. However, cats that are aware that you are a cat lover will approach you with a different sort of attitude. Cats are more likely to rub up against your legs and encourage you to stroke their head, chin and their back. They will also purr once you start to make a fuss of them.

From an article Can cats sense if you are a cat lover? by Spohie S

My daughter's new kitten, Orlov. Well...I hope he will just sniff and keep his distance where I am concerned!

I prize you more than gems

Happy birthday my dear daughter.

With her second brother Farouk

Deedee and her sis-in-law Azni

More than gems in my comb box shaped by the God of the Sea,
I prize you, my daughter -8th century Japanese poet Otomo no Sakanoue Iratsume

Good bye to tension!

Dedicated to several of my friends (you know who you are) who will be joining me in the pensioners club soon.

3 year old literally beaten to death!

Chandler Detective Gary Fuller has investigated hundreds of murders, but he has only one victim's photo on his desk: Schala Vera, 3, whose brutal slaying a year ago Tuesday had a profound effect on police and medical staff.

Kepra Jack, one of the nurses at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center who tried in vain to save Schala's life, has never been so shaken. She just recently began sleeping through the night again.

"It was the worst thing I have ever seen," said Jack. "She was wet when she got here. She was naked," Jack said. There wasn't one part of her that wasn't bruised, Jack said.

The child was blue and purple from being whipped, police say, repeatedly by a belt. Her mother, Susan Joan Witbracht, 27, and her mother's boyfriend, Dauntorian Lydel Sanders, 24, have been charged with her murder and could face the death penalty. They are being held without bail.

Please read more at http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/08/27/20100827chandler-schala-vera-abuse-campaign.html

She died five days after her third birthday. That day, Sanders whipped her repeatedly with a belt, investigators reported. Schala's face fell between her knees, then Sanders whipped her back, investigators said. He picked her up and dropped her, repeatedly, on the tiled bathroom floor, according to court records. While she was sprawled on the floor, a door was repeatedly slammed into her head, records stated.

"That little child was literally beaten to death," Favazzo said. "She had the strength to crawl between the toilet and the wall, between a sink and a toilet. A 3-year-old has to die alone."

God opening millions of flowers everyday

Don't try to force anything
Let life be a big let-go
See God opening millions of flowers everyday without forcing the buds
-Bhagwan Shree Raynesh

My Jasmine plants flowered again after 4 weeks


More flowering plants in my collection

The world, my home

Elise, my brother-in-law's cousin, is here on a visit. They share the same Grandfather. Their Grandfather married 3 women. The first wife (from China) was the Mother of Elise' Father, the second wife (from Malacca, Malaysia) was the Mother of my Brother-in-law's Mother, the third wife was also from Malacca. Elise is here to trace the members of her extended family in Malaysia.

Elise' family migrated from China to Vietnam and subsequently to France. She is now a French citizen and currently residing in Xiamen, China.


Elise (right) with her cousin, my brother-in-law (left)

At a restaurant in kuala selangor

Adoning the lifejacket before getting onto the boat to see the fireflies at kampungkuantan Kuala Selangor , one of the largest firefly colonies in the world

The firefly jetty

The souvenir shop at Kampong Kuantan

A man's homeland is wherever he prospers.
Aristophanes (450 BC - 388 BC), Plutus, 388 B.C.

Treating their youngs worse than animals do!

An 8 year old daughter and another younger child were badly burnt by their father who threw acid on his wife and the children, in terengganu, Malaysia. The girl will be scared for life! Is he an animal or a human being?

Please read full sotry: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/17/nation/6869091&sec=nation

This reminded me of an episode some years back. A man wanted a divorce from his wife. Her immediate response was, "Please don't do this. How about the children? Her immediate concern was the effect it could have on her children. The man missed the point. Instead the man's response was "I don't want the children. You can have the children" . Even the animals take care of their youngs until they are independent. Is he an animal or a human being?

Then again, equating these type of people to animals is degrading to the animals, to say the least!

Getting old is chic!

"Getting old is chic, the rustic look is in".
-author unknown

You can be stupid with them

Last month it was Japanese lunch, 2 weeks ago Korean barbecue and today Thai food. Much more than the food, it was one another's company that we relished. As Helen put it,while walking along with me..."having been friends for such a long time, we can be ourselves with one another and that is the best part".


My secondary school, MGS Kuala Lumpur classmates. L-R, Norhayati, Aw Chai Fong, me, Helen Phoon
Another classmate Kum Sim, not captured in the picture above.

Thai Food

Tea break

Korean barbecue

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

May God embrace this little soul

Landon Payne, a picture taken when he was 2 years old.

About 20 people gathered outside the kearneycounty Courthouse in Nebraska to remember a boy who they said, “didn’t have a chance.” The small group stood with candles in a vigil for Landon Payne, the 4-year-old victim of alleged child abuse who died in December in rural Kearney County.

Read full report http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/article_d85054c6-a0a3-11df-80c8-001cc4c03286.html

and

http://www.lexch.com/articles/2010/07/22/news/regional/doc4c47657653ba9068462334.txt

“It just seemed to me that this kid had nobody. He had nobody. We would have been there for him if we had known. We need to stand for him now,” said Jacque Shepard of Kearney, who helped organize the vigil on Facebook.

“He didn’t even have a chance,” Shepard said, tears in her eyes.

“Because he could not fight for himself, we are here in his stead. Because he did not have a ‘family’ we are now his family. We seek justice for Landon, we seek change so that there are no other Landons who fall through the crack, and are ignored by those who are here to serve and protect.”

Dr. Matthias Okoye, director of the Nebraska Forensic Medical Services performed an autopsy on Landon's body on Dec. 23 and said the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Okoye said the boy was dehydrated, malnourished and emaciated.

Court records also cite an interview with Landon's sister, who also lived at the home. She said Sharon Turnell poked the boy's feet with tacks and whipped him with a stick. She also described an instance when Sharon Turnell, Dustin Scoville and Charles Turnell had hung Landon on a hook outside at night, describing the hook as being on a wooden pole, where you could hang your hat and coat.

She said Sharon Turnell threatened to cut off Landon's penis with a knife and had heated a knife over the stove and held it next to his penis. The girl said Charles Turnell was putting hot sauce on Landon's penis while Sharon heated the knife.

Landon's sister also said Landon was not fed, and while the rest of the family ate, he would be in the corner. She said Katie Payne pulled out Landon's hair and Sharon Turnell encouraged other children in the house to pull out his hair.

My tears could not stop flowing when I read about Landon. May those responsible, the disgusting scums, be brought to justice!