My life is very easy; I have everything I could ever want and need. Now that I have a pretty good grasp of one of the world's most poverty-stricken areas, I'm trying my best to keep myself from crying, kicking, and screaming right now. I must stay strong for the Malawian people. My life is so easy, and I constantly have opportunities to make it even better and even easier...if I don't stay strong for these people, who will? Who am I to cry in Malawi next to a young, impoverished, starving, SMILING child? I'm so angry at myself for even thinking that crying is an option.
Tonight, on my way home from an HIV Testing/Counseling Training Session in Mwanza, I sat in the back of an ambulance with a mother who had just given birth to twins yesterday. The boy/girl twins were the most perfect, beautiful new-born babies I'd ever seen in my life. I kept praising the infants to the mother and praising the mother for bringing such incredible human beings into the world. Normally, in this situation, the mother would be glowing, smiling from ear to ear, and completely giddy about her new life. However, as I looked into the mother's eyes again and again throughout our one hour drive back to Neno, the intense fear overcame me and struck chords inside of me very violently. Feeding one baby in Malawi is hard enough, the nightmare of not having enough food for two quickly became the obvious reason for the mother's fear. In such a glorious and miraculous time in a woman's life, this should be the last thing on her mind. Unfortunately, for this particular mother, this fear was superseding all other normal/happy emotions. This is not fair! The chords had been struck, and it was all downhill from there...
Every single human being on this planet is entitled to the basics--clean water, shoes, a roof, and medical care. It is NOT okay that hundreds/thousands of people in Malawi do not have these basic human needs. It is NOT okay that a mother has to spend her entire year's income to travel to the nearest health clinic because her baby is dying of malaria. It is NOT okay that over one million Malawian children do not have families because their parents died of preventable diseases such as malaria, HIV, etc. It is NOT okay that 3 year old children are still breast-feeding from their mother, desperately sucking as if they will be able to create more milk inside, because it is the only form of nutrition available to them. It is NOT okay that 8 year old girls are taking care of their 4 younger siblings because their mother died of AIDS. It is NOT okay that people are dying from diarrhea because they do not have clean water to drink. It is NOT okay that hundreds of children to not have the opportunity to become educated because the 3 hour walk to and from school is too hard on their small, undernourished bodies. It is NOT okay that Rose (one of my best friends in Malawi) just found out about the death of her lover/children's father that occurred over a month ago because she cannot afford communication (he was forced to find work in South Africa). It is NOT okay that people see death in a tiny, microscopic mosquito, yet are too poor to take the necessary precautions to prevent malaria. It is NOT okay that people fear the rain because the thatch roof over their entire life just might not survive one more downpour. It is NOT okay that older people (if they're still living) are too embarrassed to smile because they've lost their teeth due to the fact that they can't afford a toothbrush/toothpaste (those are the last things on the priority list). It is NOT okay that these beautiful, caring, hard-working children cannot become anything their heart desires. It is NOT okay that 1 out of every 7 children born in Malawi will likely become HIV positive. It is NOT okay that every child born in Malawi will likely die before they reach the age of 37. It is NOT okay that these 37 years of living will be so much freaking harder than the majority of the world's habitants could ever possibly fathom! It is NOT okay that a 4 year old boy in Malawi has already experienced more heartache, devastation, and tragedy than most of us will experience in a lifetime.
Is is NOT okay that these people are isolated from the rest of the world, so that everybody who wants to continue their fortunate lifestyles without any guilt can easily do so. It is NOT okay that these people have been forgotten about by so many people, for such a long time.
I am in Malawi this summer, giving these people everything I can possibly give. For some strange reason, the more I give, the dirtier I feel. The more interactions I have with these amazing Malawian people, the more obvious my contributions to the global poverty trap become. The more things I see that are "NOT okay", the angrier and angrier I become. However, the more in touch I become with these emotions inside of me, the stronger and stronger my drive to help becomes!!!
Such is the life of a public servant...
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5 comments:
"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." -Albert Schweitzer
Molly, you are amazing and wonderful. We can't change everything, but we can make changes one day at a time. You're right, it's not okay, it sucks, we're lucky, but like you always say "to whom much is given, much is expected." We're doing it, one day at a time; we're doing all that we can and it works, sometimes it feels like it isn't, but it is. What you're doing is so much more than most people ever think of doing and it's helping.
P.S. you totally made me tear up in the middle of the internet cafe :).
Mollie,
John C. sent us the link to your blog...absolutely incredible stuff you are engaged in. I completely understand your feelings--hang in there. A lot of your contributions will really make a difference, especially after your program is over. Your passion, intelligence and experience can make a difference on a larger scale in the future. You should be proud!
P.S. A little news from home: An Arkansas poll stated that 63% of Arkansans support HDN, 28% do not support HDN, with the remaining 9% no opinion. Looks like HDN will be sticking around...GO HOGS! Be safe and good luck.
hey mollie,
you're right, it's not ok, but, listen to chandle! you are doing an amazing job just hang in there and keep doing what you're doing!
Mollie: I want you to keep the hope. We are so blessed right now to know that we are experiencing a life changing event in our lives. Most people don't know when that will happen, but we do and we have the opportunity to take this summer and use for future good. You now know Malawi, so it won't be forgotten and although there are so many, many things that we see that are not ok, we also have the opportunity to make the future better. You are strong friend, and I trust you to keep hope for the children of Malawi in the future.
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