Uruguay 5- Beauty and The Poverty

One of many monuments throughout Montevideo.


This poor guy was all of about 8 years old and shivering as he slept. He did not ask for money and he did not get in anyone's way. He was just trying to sleep and stay warm. I have another picture of his brother who was 12 and looking through garbage cans collecting bottles to exchange. He didn't ask anything of me either, but simply gave me a weak, embarrassed smile.It's very easy to become desensitized to images like this and it is very frustrating to me when people simply overlook children and people like this boy. So many people are quick to brush begger children off as the money is "just going to go to their drunken parents" or will be wasted on something else. But if there is one thing I ask, at least in the case of children, is that people stop and at least acknowledge that the only thing that you kept you out of his/her shoes is luck. It was simply luck of the draw that at age 8 I worried about what my Barbie would wear instead of worrying about waking up to go juggle in the street in front of red lights and hope that people would give me some change. Though merely writing about this brings me to tears, I am not so naive to think that giving change will really help anything. I am all for thoughtful and sustainable development that will slowly change what life is for kids like this around the world.


One of the beautiful walking streets in Montevideo.


Five minutes away from the picture above. A family of four lives here.


This is by far my favorite picture of all the ones I have taken (though the one of the little old lady in Guatemala is a close second). This was the happiest little girl I've ever seen. Her parents were very friendly and very proud of their small restaurant in one of the poor areas of Montevideo near the port.