I have no real words to express the situation I saw.
Both boys and girls all with a clenched fist, but hiding in side of their fist was a rag soaked in paint thinner, you would see them constantly put it up to their mouth to inhale it, and then fight with others to get more paint thinner to soak their rag again. The smell was overwhelming. Some of the smaller boys were wobbling around and glazed and really just not with the world...I cannot imagine what they are trying to forget about and block out their reality of their life of living on the streets.
At one point the police walked past, guns out...with everyone knowing that the police would happily use them on the children...all the children stopped playing or talking and just stood and stared until the police had walked away.
As not being able to communicate very well, we got the UNO cards out and played for about 2 hours with the children...
It was a good time, for the children to actually be children!! The girl in the front of the picture (could of not been more than 16) in the blue and grey coat...was very good at the game and kept everyone in order!! Just before we left she took her coat off for more pictures and revealed that she was actually pregnant....all night she had been sniffing paint thinner - cannot imagine the life her child is going to have...
Our lives are miles apart - I cannot imagine living their life, having to rely on paint thinner to block out reality, have no where to go at night, have no one to look after me....
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