Shaun Lee, Hungry Mouths & Hearts (Documentary/Photojournalism)

I'm originally from Malaysia and when I go back to see Mom and Dad, I spend some time volunteering at a soup kitchen feeding the homeless in downtown Kuala Lumpur. We also provide hair free haircuts and medial checkups. The first time I served as a volunteer was truly an eye opening experience. It was heartbreaking hearing their stories and how they ended up on the streets (some with very young families) whether it was by misfortune, selfless responsibility or by simply falling through the cracks of our flawed system. There was a family, who we found sleeping in an overhead pedestrian pass (we made sure they were registered and looked after) and there was also a elderly gentleman dying of cancer who explained he left home so he was not a burden on his family who couldn't afford this medical treatments. It's so easy to misunderstand people and place labels on them saying that these people are in the situation they are in because they are drug addicts, lazy and uneducated, if only they got off their bums to find jobs. But I find that life is not so black and white which is why this series reflects that in it's colour treatment. The image that spoke to me the most was of a little girl nursing her cup of hot milo as she through the serving area. Her dad passed away from illness and her mom had disappeared. Even though she’s being cared by a foster family, someone this young, this small, shouldn’t have to go through this life experience.

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