First, the harsh facts have resurfaced
Travel back in time to the dusty history of 15 years ago, and in the bustling streets of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, passers-by often caught a casual glimpse of children huddled on street corners.
They are ragged and skinny, shivering like fallen leaves in the wind, and one can't help but wonder if there are really loving parents in the world.
However, it was this group of children whose living conditions were revealed by the police 15 years ago – that they were living in such a harsh environment as the sewers, and the news was like a bolt from the blue sky that shocked the whole society.
One of the most striking is the boy named Jika, who is 13 years old this year. Ruthlessly abandoned by his parents since he was a child, and later suffered from hunger and cold in his adoptive family, he chose to live a wandering life, which has been 4 years since then.
As the elder of this group of children, Jika naturally took on the role of "big brother" with his rich experience in wandering, leading them to beg in the streets and alleys for a living.
The same is true for the rest of the children, who are as homeless as Jika or who have left their homes to escape the devastation of domestic violence.
For example, the siblings, Manchi and Tuya, whose father was a heavy drinker and would punch and kick them whenever they were drunk, while their mother ignored them.
Eventually, they couldn't take it anymore and decided to bravely flee this place full of pain.
2. Children who have been forgotten by the world
Despite the efforts of the Mongolian police to help these homeless children, their plight has not been fundamentally improved. The Police conduct regular search operations to find the children who are wandering and bring them back to the shelter for basic livelihood such as washing and food, so that they can temporarily escape from the problem of filth and hunger.
However, the shelter is only a temporary shelter, and after seven days, children who know where they are from are returned to their places of origin, and those who do not know where they are are sent to orphanages.
Sadly, however, the vast majority of children soon after returning to their places of origin choose to run away from home again and rejoin the familiar life of living on the streets.
Manchi and Tuya siblings have been found and taken home by the police several times, but each time they see the dilapidated and filthy yurt, their hearts are filled with endless despair.
At one point, the film crew witnessed the scene where they were taken home. At that time, the mother seemed unconcerned about the return of her child, and even showed a hint of disgust.
She said to the officer, "Who knows who they are out with? We have always been dedicated to our children, my husband has never done anything to them, and the children themselves are mischievous."
Those words were so distressing that they left everyone in the room silent and pondering. The photography team keenly noticed that when the great mother approached Tuya, the young girl was subconsciously hiding behind the police, as if the mother in front of her was a terrible monster!
I have to sigh that in many poor families, the existence of children often becomes a kind of heavy burden. In an environment of extreme scarcity of living resources, they are unable to take care of their children wholeheartedly, and may even see them as dispensable.
Instead of valuing every moment they spend with their children, they choose to abandon them on the streets and leave them to fend for themselves.
3. Social indifference and dereliction of duty
In addition to the ruthlessness of their families, the indifference and dereliction of duty in society are also the main culprits of these street children who live on the streets and endure cold and hunger.
Although the Mongolian government provides a child welfare allowance of about 270 yuan for poor families, it should be used to improve the living conditions of the children. However, in practice, this money is often used by poor parents for excessive drinking and other unrestrained consumption, and is never really used for food and clothing for their children.
"When they learn that they can receive child benefits, they will not hesitate to quit even if the job is relatively easy," said one police officer. As a result, many people see the subsidy as "money for drinking" rather than the cost of living for their children.
What is even more distressing is that for many years, society does not seem to have paid enough attention and supervision. Extreme cases such as the "gutter child", although they once attracted widespread public attention for a period of time, were quickly forgotten by society.
Children's rights and conditions continue to be neglected.
Once upon a time, one wondered why Mongolia, a country with a young workforce and abundant mineral resources, ran a fiscal deficit every year? Despite the many intricate socio-economic factors involved, the seemingly trivial problem of children is in fact a potential crisis that cannot be ignored.
If we continue to allow these street children to be homeless and malnourished, it will be difficult for them to grow up to be healthy and productive citizens, which will undoubtedly pose a great threat to the future development of the country.
Fourth, we still need to pay attention to it in the future
Time flies. In the blink of an eye, 15 years have passed quietly. The children who once struggled to survive on the streets are now adults. However, where will their life trajectory go, will they continue to follow the trajectory of the family's destiny, or will they be able to break free from the shackles and usher in a new beginning?
According to the detailed data and tracking reports released by authoritative institutions, a considerable number of former "gutter children" have once again fallen into a similar predicament to their families and live almost the same life.
It is heartbreaking that some boys become addicted to alcohol as adults, treat their wives and children with indifference and are indifferent to their wives and children, and some girls are forced to marry into other poor families and continue to suffer from the endless torment caused by domestic violence.
Thankfully, however, there are still some lucky people who have managed to shake off the shackles of poverty and usher in a bright future of their own. However, they were deeply scarred in their hearts.
Those painful memories of hunger, cold, and abandonment can never be erased from our minds, and their experiences remind us that we must always pay attention to this serious social problem and call for more people's compassion and practical actions.
The future of a country and a society undoubtedly depends on the care and care of the next generation. Imagine how bleak the future of this country would be if a large number of children were left to suffer physical and psychological trauma in harsh conditions, and we have an obligation to work so that every child can thrive in the sunshine without worry.
Chapter 5 Under the Blue Sky
There should not be dark corners in life, and it is not tolerable that someone is forgotten in a difficult situation. Every child deserves to grow up in a warm family atmosphere, with the right to an education and the opportunity to live a decent life.
As the backbone of society, each of us has a great mission to let every child grow up freely under the sun. For those poor families in difficult circumstances, the government and non-profit organizations should actively lend a helping hand to ensure that the basic needs of children are met.
In addition to material support, supervision, management, education and guidance for these families should be strengthened to make parents aware of the importance of raising their children and to prevent the recurrence of similar tragedies of abuse and abandonment.
At the same time, provide employment guidance and assistance to these families so that they no longer see their children as a tool to obtain money.
The future of children is like a mirror that reflects the future of the whole country. The reasons for this situation, which are diverse and complex, should not be overlooked in the face of the enormous potential of a large group of high-quality human capital, whose root causes cannot be underestimated.
It is an indisputable fact that we all inhabit the same vast expanse of blue sky. Only by uniting and working hand in hand can we make the world a better place, full of warmth and hope.
Let us work together to contribute to a better tomorrow for children, and write a more brilliant picture of the future with practical actions!