Story Time
Since returning from our year long journey around the world we have been asked on several occasions how our lives have been changed. This question is hard to answer and it will likely take years to see the changes, particularly in our children. One event in particular stands out in my mind that showed us what life is like for the disadvantaged. This will forever change the way our family will think of the poor. We spent seven weeks in Bangladesh volunteering with CRWRC. My wife conducted some workshops on gender with village groups and I spent time interviewing various people in villages to write articles to be used by CRWRC`s partner organizations. We spent a lot of time with groups of women dressed in brightly coloured saris. They were beautiful and the landscape was wonderful. At each of these places we heard people talk of how they were working to improve their lives and how CRWRC’s partners are walking with them on this path. During these meetings the kids (Simon – 11 and Danielle – 9) had the opportunity to hang out with other children, many other children. The language barriers were significant but we learned that with a tennis ball you could quickly get a game of catch or cricket going and there would be laughter all around. They did not have a translator so never really got to know the children. In addition to the adults volunteering, we also tried to find things that the children could do. One of these activities was volunteering at a children’s club for elementary grade students run by the Taize Brothers. We would go and play games with the children, sing songs and generally just hang out. The little children, especially the girls would hang all over Danielle and she was almost always the “goose” in the Bangla version of the game “duck, duck, goose”.  The kids however, were not your typical students. Most of them could not go to school as they were could not afford it and could not afford the time. They had to spend time begging, collecting trash to sell or working to gain some income for their families. One day at school we had store time. Three boys aged 9 to 11 talked about their day. The first boy said he got up, washed his face and went to the market to beg. He got three little fish and 5 taka (about 10 cents). He did not eat lunch. The second boy said he got up, washed his face, and went to the market to sell a few vegetables. He made 30 taka from that and gave it to his parents. He did not have lunch. The third boy also got up, washed his face and a man asked him to help move boxes. He spent the morning moving boxes with a friend. At the end of the job the man paid the other boy but not him. He argued that he had done the same work but the man refused to pay. He cried. He did not have lunch. These storied showed us that extreme poverty affects children who are very much the same as my children. They want to play, laugh and be with other children and their parents. But the effects of their poverty are deep – they lack education, they lack food during a key development time of their life and I’m sure they lack sanitation and health care. Although we had seen much poverty in Bangladesh we could only really feel it by spending time with others. This growth in understanding and growth in compassion is a true gift and one that will change all of our lives. Back to 'De Wilde Journey' |
