Behind the Picture
Location: Malaysia
Photographer: Zon Hisham Zainal Abidin 

The image is of a loving mother who is visually impaired and her son who appeared to glance/look into the uncertainties of his future, hoping for the best there is. 

As the title suggests, the story is about a loving mother who is visually impaired and her son who appeared to glance/look into the uncertainties of his future, hoping for the best there is. 
 
This mother and child belong to the Jahai community (indigenous people) who live in the Royal Belum Rainforest Reserve, Malaysia. Most if not all are shy, especially when requested to pose in front of the camera. 
 
It was the 2nd day of our trip to Royal Belum to capture some portraits and their lifestyle. The mother and child pair were sitting close when I made a request for their photo to be taken. Her command of language was minimal but enough to make us understand each other. The village chief was also present and that helped a lot. Only then that I knew about her predicament. 
 
Most of the aid given to the Jahai community were in the form of food, clothing and general health screening. It came to my knowledge that there need to be more and specific eye/vision health screening among the folks in the community. I bet there are many children who have visual problems in their classes.