Radiating Joy

A bunch of cheerful boys. They were totally playing it up for the camera, indeed, that was something I noticed frequently during the walk through this poor area of Vasant Vihar: the children were keen on being photographed. They were posing, but I still love this image for the sheer raw energy and happy smiles that radiate from these children’s faces. Although they are not the poorest of the poor – they don’t live on the streets, they aren’t orphans and, even if they would probably be considered underweight by Western standards, they aren’t starving – they do live in poverty, in shabby homes and with probably no more than a change or two of clothes. And yet, the delight in their faces gives a feeling of hope. If children aren’t happy like this, where would we be in this world?