Despite the pain in his back, Grandpa Kani continues to walk slowly along steep roads. He only hopes his vegetables sell, so he can afford to eat today.

Living alone in his old age, Grandpa’s body is frail, and his steps are unsteady. But to survive, he still goes around selling vegetables he gets from a neighbor’s garden. With what little strength he has left, he carries the heavy basket on his weakening shoulders.

Most days, his vegetables don’t sell. They rot with no buyers. Grandpa returns home empty-handed and with an empty stomach. He’s even vomited blood from extreme hunger. He’s never been to a doctor—there’s simply no money. There’s also a painful lump on his back, the result of an old accident when he was hit by a vehicle. His spine was damaged and has never been treated, causing ongoing pain.

When he does make a sale, he’s grateful to earn about $1-$2 a day. But often, he earns nothing at all.

He lives in a borrowed bamboo shack—its walls fragile, its roof made of old zinc sheets, and the floor damp earth. When it rains, the room floods, and Grandpa lies curled up in a corner, drenched and shivering in the cold.

When asked what he hopes for, Grandpa simply cried and whispered, “I just want to be able to eat every day…”