It's amazing how often I feel guilty since I've been traveling here. Everyday I see scores of people who are drastically poorer than I will ever be. I see them along all the roadsides, outside of all the stores, in all of the taxis. As much fun as I may be having traveling about here in Africa, looking for elephants and drinking cheap beers, there is always this darker side wrapped up with it.
When Jeffrey and I were headed to Lake Bunyoni, our boda-boda trip took us past vast rock mining areas with men and women high up on the rock escarpments chipping away with sledges. At the bottom were more people, but mostly women and children, who were breaking the rocks into fist-sized and smaller chunks with hammers. Kids as young as 6 or so, spending all their days sitting on a never-ending pile of rocks, hammering them into smaller pieces. I can't really even imagine what the future must hold for these kids, nor can I understand how they still smile and wave as we pass by them on a motorcycle. You can here the shouts of "Muzungu!!!" echoing up the hillside as the kids pass along the message that we are there. There is the typical "give me money," from many of them, or the less correct grammar/funnier: "give me
my money." To which there is really no good reply I can give. I give none of them money, both because I can't afford to give
all of them money, and because it will only encourage them to follow all white people around begging. So it remains heartbreaking.
Whizzing past the abject poverty of people who live just a few miles from a major tourist destination in Uganda, I can't help but feel terribly guilty.
I don't really know what the answer to all of this is. I know that we in the west, despite our financial downturn, have much more than we need. I know that giving aid is never as simple as it seems, and that so much done in the name of helping is actually hurting. I know that I came to Uganda to try to learn a bit, and to help where I can. But knowing all of this doesn't help me when faced with these thin, dusty children breaking rocks with their hands. In fact it leaves me even more confused than ever.
Hi Ali
ReplyDeleteI agree with you , it is totally heartbreaking to see such abject poverty yet the amazingness of the people is so inspiring and outstanding- there is joy and love in the hearts of all. We too saw so many projects that were disempowering for people- resulting in welfare conciousness,people whole heartedly believing htey need some big organistion with lots of money to save them.... this is something that drives us in our work with Aliamos- we are aiming to empower communites and promote the redundacy of aid organisations- they are not needed, and to see an aid industry formed around profiting from others poverty - it doesnt fit! Its good to be aware of, you might need to start preparing yourself for your return to the west- its even more disgusting.....so much affluence and waste....so much consumption....so much ignorance....you will be a great inspiration to many- share your experiences far and wide- people just don't know what life is like outside their worldview- you really will be making a difference to all whom you share with... its impossible not to
:) thankyou for your refelctions