However I do want to share something that I've been thinking about today.
So today Collins (housemate and old friend) and I went to play a little soccer/football just to get out of the house and get a bit of exercise. Can't really walk down the street here with a soccer ball in your hand without drawing attention. Anyway we made our way to the field near our house. We picked up a small following of street kids. Let's pause here for a vocabulary and culture lesson.
Street kids; kids ranging from young to not as young. Street kids come in wide verities from the street kid who begs for money using a tomato paste can tide to a rope, to the street kids who rummage through trash on the street looking for glass or anything worth some money or food whatever. Some street kids are not legitimate street kids, some have just been sent out by their parents to beg money during the time they would normally be in school, don't be fooled by imitators. (like it really matters, they're frick'n hungry and i can't do anything for them but the take off your finger trick and play some soccer)Ok so, yeah get pumped we're going to play some soccer with some street kids. Time for some feel good central. Heck yeh let's go! Right you wish, if you thought this would be the thing I find to make me feel useful you're dreaming. There is the distinct possibility that we did provide some joy for these kids for roughly 45 minutes. However I couldn't help but notice that there trash bags full of stuff they would later undoubtedly be selling for some sort of food were sitting on the side of the field. I also couldn't help but notice that our ball kept going into the ditch.
Have I told you about the ditch? If not here's another lesson, the ditch runs all over town, some areas it has an open top others it's covered. It acts primarily as a ditch, which means it also acts as a toilet for, well street kids and anyone else who needs to pee while standing near it. It also acts as a trash can because of all the trash on the street that gets washed into the ditch.
Anyway point is this, yes soccer with the street kids was loads of fun and hopefully it was the same for them. Now imagine telling the kids you have to leave, sorry kids back to the trash piles with you I've got other things to do that don't involve the ditch. What's that we have some water and you're thirsty? Well sure you can have some. Here's where I turned into what I love to hate.
Kids get the water bottle and they fight over it, bigger kids get bigger amounts of water. Pushing ensues and of course I don't like that. So I take control of the water bottle (see if you can follow the metaphor). Each kid will have water so long as I am in control, and as long as I'm in control there will be pushing or fighting. Never mind how you've operated your entire lives and how you will continue to operate when I'm not looking. I'm here now so things will be different and I WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF (not). So I took the water bottle and had the kids stop pushing and poured a little bit into each of their mouths, fairly evenly I might add until we had used all the water and all had something to drink (even the smallest kid). Now how should I feel?
Can't really explain to a street kid that there's no need to fight over what is most likely the only clean water you will see all day. Can't really explain to a street kid that there's plenty of water, shoot I even take a shower almost everyday, sometimes twice and most likely as soon as I'm done playing with you. And who would want to? No, can't change a street kid's reality just because mine is different and I know better. Oh well, hope you had fun playing soccer for 45 minutes.
It's no problem to go out and play soccer with the kids, I do really enjoy it and it's nice to see them smile for a change. I just didn't like the fact that i turned into a first world power controlling the resource and rationing it out. It's just up setting to see the world's political/economic situation played out on the small scale with my hands doing the dealing.
Peace,
Ben
yeah best not do that one again. how many times has this happened?
ReplyDeleteThank you for that, Ben.
ReplyDeleteAndy
Don't stop doing, with no example to follow, nothing will ever change. Instead of thinking of yourself as the big bad bully type, try seeing yourself as the example setter. People, and children are people, learn more by example than by words. By showing fairness, you set the example. You are right, you cannot change their life by playing soccer for 45 minutes, but you can change that 45 minutes to fun - and that is something they need in their lives. Not being able to change everything should not stop you from changing the few minutes you can. Hang in there kid and don't harden yourself to just accept all you see. If you do, then you will become that bully type you hate. It hurts and your heart breaks but then you knew it would not be easy when you went. We keep you in prayer for strength and safety and courage.
ReplyDeleteSmall steps to begin with. You are not a First World Power, you are a facilitator to show the love of God through a sip of water. Thank You.
ReplyDeleteWow. Long way to go:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=75004
October 2007
"... a sanitation programme started six months ago by the National Authority for Water and Sanitation (ONEA).... we only recently started working on it,” explained Arba Jules Ouedraogo, ONEA’s managing director of sanitation. “First we have to mobilise funds in Ouagadougou, the capital."
...
Only 10 percent of Burkina Faso’s 13.7 million people have adequate sanitation, according to government statistics. The plan is to increase access to sanitation in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso to 59 and 57 percent respectively, by 2015. ..."