A Photo That Haunts: What That Girl’s Smile Really Means
Faiza Hassan
Rawalpindi: Back in 2013, during a field visit to a slum area in Rawalpindi, I took a photo that has stayed with me ever since. It was of a young girl — smiling genuinely, splashing joyfully in what could only be described as a pool of stagnant, contaminated water. To her, that murky puddle filled with floating waste wasn’t a hazard; it was a playground.
An old plastic bottle became her toy.
More than a decade later, I wonder if she has grown up, but what truly haunts me is the grim possibility that children today are still playing in the same conditions. Despite the passage of time, nothing seems to have changed.
A Childhood Marked by Neglect
It wasn’t just the poverty that struck me at that moment. It was the realization that this girl’s childhood — like so many others in Pakistan’s urban slums — is confined to open drains, broken streets, and unsafe surroundings with no parks, schools, or secure spaces to simply be a child.
Thousands of children grow up in such conditions, deprived of basic needs and protection.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/despair-dignity-on-wheels-price-of-survival-in-pakistan/
The visible dangers of playing in contaminated water skin infections, hepatitis, parasites are just the surface. Beneath lies a darker, more insidious threat that too few talk about openly.
The Hidden Threat
In 2023 alone, Sahil reported over 4,500 cases of child sexual abuse across Pakistan. But this figure only scratches the surface — the real numbers are undoubtedly higher, especially in marginalized communities where victims hesitate to report due to fear, stigma, or distrust in authorities.
Children left unattended in vulnerable environments, like the girl in my photo, become easy targets for predators. When safety is a luxury, how can we expect these children to be protected from such harm?
The question that haunts me: what if someone had seen her alone in that puddle? Who was watching out for her?
More Than Neglect — It’s a Collective Failure
This is not just an individual tragedy. It’s a national crisis born out of neglect, poor urban planning, and societal indifference. When cities expand without accounting for the needs of their youngest residents, this is the inevitable outcome. When slums grow unchecked, with no sanitation, no security, no services — these children pay the highest price.
That girl in the puddle is not just a symbol of poverty — she is a symptom of everything we have chosen to ignore.
What Must be Changed?
It’s easy to say “someone should do something.” But if not us, then who?
Create Safe Playgrounds: Even small, clean, and fenced play areas can transform a child’s world, providing safe spaces to grow, explore, and be free.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/the-issue-of-abuse-and-misrepresentation-in-education/
Establish Local Child Protection Units: Empower community volunteers with training to monitor children’s safety and report suspicious activities promptly.
Break the Silence on Abuse: Open conversations about child abuse are essential. Parents, caregivers, and children need education on recognizing, preventing, and reporting abuse.
Include Children in Urban Planning: Sanitation, clean water, healthcare, and safety must be priorities in the development or upgrading of informal settlements.
Enforce Laws Effectively: Laws alone are not enough. We need faster judicial processes, survivor-centric support systems, and real consequences for offenders to deter abuse.
That little girl — splashing in what looked like sewage-contaminated water — may never know she inspired this story. But she deserves more than just a photograph or a fleeting moment of pity. She deserves a childhood free of danger, a safe place to play, a school to attend, and a life full of hope.
Every child deserves that.
If we fail to provide it, then what kind of future are we truly building?
Faiza Hassan is a development professional specializing in human rights, child rights, urban inequality, and grassroots advocacy.
