Happiness.
That’s the first word that came to mind when 16-year-old Muhammad Rafiq took this photo.
He spotted this girl early in the morning, sitting at Batu Caves before school. She was smiling, peaceful, and full of gratitude. It wasn’t a big moment – but it was a powerful one.
“Her happiness touched my heart,” says Rafiq.
For him, this photo means more than just a good shot. As a refugee youth who gets his education through an NGO, Rafiq knows what it means to fight for the chance to go to school. That’s why this quiet moment – of a girl giving thanks before learning – hit differently.
Because happiness isn’t about having everything.
It’s about appreciating what we do have.
For children everywhere, education should never be taken for granted. And sometimes, all it takes is one photo to remind us of that.
“Happiness.”
Photo and caption by Muhammad Rafiq bin Hussin (16), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Also by Muhammad Rafiq
CHECKOUT >> Progress and development: A youth’s view from the city’s edge
The World We Want
This photo was taken during The World We Want – a youth photography workshop hosted by UNICEF Malaysia in 2014. It marked two milestones: 25 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and 60 years of UNICEF in Malaysia.
Over one week, 20 young people turned their cameras into tools for change. With guidance from humanitarian photographer Giacomo Pirozzi, they captured their hopes, fears, and dreams for a better future.
