I first encountered the above picture in 2015. It broke my heart and has stayed with me ever since.
Many times, I find myself thinking about these two boys and many others like them, who are casualties of war. They are brothers; either biologically or through the most divine form of friendship that has survived untold hardship. This scenario strikes me as the aftermath of a cruel war, during which these two young boys must have experienced excruciating emotional and physical pain, hunger, carnage, trauma and have lost everything dear to them including their family.

The war seems to be over and this appears to be an unaffected part of the city. These two boys now stroll in partial embrace to an uncertain and daunting future. Oftentimes, I wonder if these boys eventually had the opportunity of schooling or acquiring a normal social life. Were they rehabilitated? Who is catering for them now? The possibilities that come to mind are frightening and cause me a lot of worry. I must say, this is photo-journalism at its finest. I also want to enjoin us all, to always remember the boys, girls, women and men who are forced to endure the savagery of war.

They should always be in our thoughts, prayers and benevolent decisions. Although it seems very unlikely, I fervently hope that in 2017 and beyond, World leaders, traditional and religious leaders as well as local and regional leaders particularly in Africa will set aside their hubris and work purposefully towards restoring peace and
preventing fresh wars. I hope leaders would adopt alternative peaceable means of resolving social, economic and political differences, henceforth. Collectively, we need to protect human life, property as well as the natural environment from the horrors and toxicity of wars that are often unnecessary, driven by unreasonable, selfish ambitions. It is important for us all to move past our respective hostilities, hypocrisies, hatred and stereotypes and strive for World Peace.