For some reason or other

[Michael Alexander]

For some reason or other, this image disturbs me.....

[Patricia Lotte]

This picture opens the debat about why people have children when they can't afford to even feed them. Look at what's happening in Somalia again. All those malnourished kids. If you can't afford to bring a child into this world, then don't 

[Michael Alexander]

In the African context, how many of those woman are raped and then fall pregnant?

[Robert Bruce]

We shouldn't take a single-dimensional perspective about procreation wherever we live in the world. It is what we all aspire to do naturally and regardless of the economy or country's ability to grow crops to feed itself, making babies goes on. In mitigation, it's beyond our abilities to forecast the degree of crisis that long periods of drought will plunge a region into. I daresay that most of the effected families never foresaw h the 'drought cliff' would so suddenly fall away and lead them to utterly cruel and life-threatening circumstances.

Having said that, the charities are trying to teach birth-control in the regions where drought is not a probable but really a question of when will it occur. They have reached limited success and will continue their efforts. We should be mindful of the obstacles the charity workers encounter in Sudan and Ethiopia and I for one do not envy them their task.

I guess that the mothers of the dying children are left with a sense of guilt and maybe wish they'd heeded their natural reluctance to have a child. But who knows under what circumstances they were impregnated. In a male-dominated region it is easy to imagine the results of denying one's husband his conjugal rights let alone defending yourself against soldiers.

It is so sad that the 'civilised' world cannot yet conquer the effects of drought on the population.

[toonfandangl]

Michael that picture did disturbed me, but when you look at it, do you know when and were it was taken, I don't think it is from any African city the kids don't look starved they are neglected obviously and I would think it was around the late 19th century up to the end of the last world war, I would hazard a guess Glasgow or even any Northern city in England but there again could be anywhere, but not Africa.

[Robert Bruce]

The picture is most likely from UK back in the year voetsek.

But guess what - this stuff still goes on here. Homelessness is a big problem. Lilly Allen's dad Keith said that UK is 3rd world in too many regions of the UK. I agree.