感受

作為一個專業攝影師，能夠被「環宇希望」邀請參與拍攝是次探訪活動，本人感到很榮幸及開心。

整整7天的探訪旅程並不算很長，由於是山區的關係，供車輛行走的道路十分險峻難行，故此來回所花去的交通時間已佔去整個旅程的四天。我是個常常出外攀山涉水拍攝風景的攝影師，可說是個「冇時停」的人。但經歷了這次旅程後也感到有點兒吃不消。可以想像到生活在山區的貧困農家，在物資難以到達的境況下生活是如此的艱難，更何況是孩子們的教育資源。


經過長時間的車程，我被安排去雲南元陽縣鵝扎鄉之山區探訪當地的小學及農家。經過長途跋涉的崎嶇山路，探訪團進入村莊，經過一輪的交談及體驗後。知道當地的鄉民主要以務農及飼養牲畜為生，由於外來物資缺乏之下，亦沒有多餘的物資與外面交易，鄉民多是過?自給自足的生活。所謂的自給自足，是一家幾口靠一塊面積不大的農田為生，或飼養一頭豬幾隻雞。這些已是他們的全部財產，如遇上天災則可謂自生自滅，更沒有任何自己國家或地區上的援助。鄉民的生活可說得上頗為艱苦，家裏的孩子們要上學讀書更是千難萬難。

山外之人常道雲南乃天府之國，物產豐腴，遊客穿梭如流水，酒家食館如密林；焉知山內之人就在雲南深山處，食無溫飽，屋不蔽風；小孩們腳踏寸履，險峰惡路，行行重行行，日復如是，目的只為求學的苦況。 本人縱觀香港的孩子們，不但食好住好，穿的是名牌皮鞋、運動鞋，每季像自動機人般跟隨潮流雜誌更換新花款，每天乘公共交通工具上學，有些更有私家車的。我隨意在街上蹓躂亦不難聽到他們對父母或生活仍有諸般抱怨。 我那天在鵝扎鄉裏看?村中的孩子們成群結隊地走上崎嶇的山路上學去，他們只有一雙尺碼不合，看上去很不舒服的硬膠拖鞋，顏色也很平凡。可是我能看到的只有滿足的神情，能聽到的只有天真而悅耳的笑聲。因為他們知道只要每天翻過前面的兩座山，就可以在課堂裏聆聽到老師的講課。他們有課可上，這是因為有很多有心人透過「環宇希望」向他們伸出援助之手。這是中國境內眾多貧困山區的一角剪影，他們是相對地較幸運的一群。我適逢其會，就以相機錄其情。

為什麼兩地有如此強烈得令人覺得有點羞恥的對比？貧亦樂，富亦憂，身在福中不知福，這些老掉牙的話，是真實的存在，不但時有發生，兼且日益嚴重。香港的下一代，如不好好地建立起自己的生活態度，真是復可憐亦復可悲。 儘管山區有山區的苦，我亦嘗試從另一個角度去拍攝他們天真快樂的一面。所謂禍兮福之所倚；樂兮悲之所依。人世間的悲歡離合，生死貧富，大概都是一言難盡。這個旅程我拍了很多相片，請諸君鑒之，望大家看後略有所感，足快吾平生耳！

山區路不絕 孩童學不滅
孤步照相師 獨影人家笑

Disregard of how much money Laurence had made or how many photos had been sold in last year, the effort he had made was in accordance with his target. In last December, Laurence had the honor of being invited to join the volunteers trip to Yunnan's mountain district thoroughly, visiting those sponsored school children and their livelihood.

My Feeling

As a professional photographer, being invited to join the volunteers’ team by ‘Hope World Wide’ is my great glory.

Although it was merely a one-week trip, we spent altogether 4 days for the transport as the route to mountain areas was extremely abrupt. I also feel exhausted even I am experienced in clamber. This makes me understand how poor they are, how harsh their lives will be when the resources are not reachable. And educational resources, obviously, is a luxury to them.

We reached the village after a long transport in a local vehicle. After met with the villagers, we learnt that they earned their living by farming and feeding the livestock and they were self-contained. A small piece of farmland or a few chickens are their total asset. It will be more worse if encounter with a natural disaster in which they would not receive any assistance from the local government.

Many people said Yunnan is a land of abundance with rich resources and well developed. Nevertheless, seldom people understand the actual living environment in the mountain district areas.

In contrast with the children in Hong Kong, most of the children in Yunnan have only one pair of unfit slippers and walked for a half day time to school. However, their minds are simple and their laughs are harmonious, they knew as along as they walked through the abrupt and long road, then they could sit in the classroom and attend their lessons. They are the luck ones because of the donations from some kind hearted people through ‘Hope World Wide’. Though they are the lucky ones, yet they are the minority of the poor in mountain district areas. These scenes had come up to my mind and I captured them with my camera.

I have a strong feeling of the great contrast between the mountain area in Yunnan and Hong Kong, such feeling was so deep that made me feel ashamed. They are poor but satisfied, we are rich but without comfort.

Regardless of their sorrow, I tried to capture their lives in different angles during this trip. I do hope these images, to some extent, can arouse your feelings.