When I moved back to South Africa for a short while, I felt overwhelmed with the magnitude of so many desperately poor children, facing so many impossible challenges. My feelings of helplessness at the enormity of the problem gave rise to this painting. These innocents with their mingled fear and wariness, looking at what's coming - good or bad? After the 2nd or 3rd rough, I realized that using bright colors (I had run out of skin tones) confused the viewer to the extent that they're race was extinguished. Suddenly the image became more universal, the viewer could no longer be untouched because it's someone else's problem...it our children.