A BOY enjoys himself as he swims in the murky waters of a river in Chroy Takeo, an arsenic-affected place in Cambodia.

Arsenic poisoning, or arsenicosis, affects hundreds of Cambodians in rural areas. The poison occurs naturally in groundwater consumed by villagers.

I was with this boy on a wooden bridge when he decided it was too warm. He jumped cheekily into the water and began splashing around. He got tired after a while, but was very pleased with the cooling effect of the water.

I waited for the current to push him towards me, and when that moment came, I took this picture.

I wondered how anyone could swim in such polluted water, much less drink it or eat food cooked with it? Still, they don't have a choice.

By recording the moment, I wanted to show what goes on in a developing country, and perhaps, make those more fortunate appreciate what they have.

Yeo Kai Wen, 19, is a final-year student at the School of Film and Media Studies at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Dec 22, 2008.