humanity..does anyone care???
A couple of months ago I got out of a shop and I was walking on the sidewalk heading to my car. It was really crowded; people were on my left and right and behind me. A young woman was walking in the opposite direction approaches me:
- 3afwan ya akhi momken atlob mennak talab.
- tfaddali (surprised…what is it that she wants, never thought that a stranger woman over here will talk to me just like that)
And then she talked, she had a problem. She explained it to me and asked for help. I’m usually not that much responsive to beggars, but she didn’t look like one of them. She was veiled of course and she was wearing the usual black abaya not a fancy one for sure but she was neatly dressed. Her story sounded reasonable, but yet again it can be fake. However, I decided to help her, not because I was that much convinced of her story but because of the tone of her voice. She didn’t talk in a fake way; she talked to me normally and at the end politely and very simply she asked for help. And although she talked normally the tone of her voice really pointed out that she was in distress, and for me there was two possibilities: either she is an excellent actress, or she really needed help. I decided to believe that she needed help and gave her what I can give, it wasn’t that much she was in need for a lot more, but I felt like I did what I had to do.
Another time, I’m standing in a small queue in a bakery. A little girl approaches me, and then she stands like 5 cm away from my left leg. 5 years old not older than 6 for sure, her hair looked as if it wasn’t ever brushed, her clothes were dirty. Her head a little bit above my knee, she bends it backwards, the wound on her forehead didn’t heal completely, and then she looks at me with her big black eyes. Too much of sadness in those eyes for a 5 years old girl, and she didn’t say a word not even one word, she just looked at me with those sad eyes. I couldn’t resist, I gave her more than I usually give. I knew that someone will take it, but it made her happy, and that's what was important for me.
I can’t believe how much humanity doesn’t have a value in the Middle East, starting from Lebanon passing by the poorest country and ending by the richest one. Why did that woman had to go to the street and undergo the humiliation of asking strangers for help. Why no one cares about kids in the streets, why they are left just like that to face the monsters of the life they’re living?
Comments
oui
c'est comme ca
je vais te dire une chose mais tu ne souffles mot a personne
mon reve le plus "fou" est de gagner BEAUCOUP d'argent pour nettoyer un peu les rues de tous ces "marchent pieds nus"
mais tout de meme un petit mot, un regard, n'importe... un geste peut parfois faire le plus grand bien on fait ce qu'on peut...pour sauver ce qui reste d'humain en eux
car les rues leur arrachent beaucoup de choses helas...
What can be done? First, capitalism must be regulated into something less fierce. Second, education, education, education. Third, charity *but* charity that actually goes to those in need and not into the pockets of ceos and managers. Fourth, although this should be first, honest governments that seek to empower the population and rid it of poverty rather than building on the already established corruption that lurks everywhere in Africa. Fifth, international attention and continuous campaigns. These elements - I'm sure there are more - when put together could lessen the effects of poverty. I am not sure about completely diminishing it. But change would be evident. At least less kids would be begging on the streets and more would be able to attend schools because there are free programs and thus their parents haven't got to worry about schools costing them a fortune. When you're that poor, even buying a notebook for school seems like a hassle.
This said and thinking of the luxury I'm in, I feel like a bitch. It's not fair. I could be living the life of a beggar and a beggar could be living my life.
Excellent thinking Rany.