Kuala Lumpur’s skyline rises proudly under the morning sun. Skyscrapers shimmer, palm trees line the edge, and the city pulses with progress and development.
But 16-year-old Rafiq sees more than just steel and glass.
“I want to belong to my city,” he says. “All children in Malaysia should benefit from this beautiful country’s progress and development.”
While cities grow fast, not every child feels the impact. Inequality, poverty, and limited access to services still leave many young people behind – especially those living on the margins.
📸 “I want to belong to my city.”
Photo and caption by Muhammad Rafiq bin Hussin (16), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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The World We Want
Rafiq took this photo during The World We Want – a youth photography workshop organised by UNICEF Malaysia in 2014. The event marked 25 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and 60 years of UNICEF in Malaysia.
Over one week, 20 young people used photography to tell their stories. With guidance from humanitarian photographer Giacomo Pirozzi, they captured moments that reflected their hopes, frustrations, and dreams for the future.
Rafiq’s image reminds us that true development must include everyone – not just those in the spotlight.
Editor’s note: This photo was shared for Federal Territory Day – a celebration of growth in Malaysia’s cities. But it also asks a deeper question: as we build up, are we lifting everyone?
