Thursday, 26 March 2009
We are living in very uncertain times. When you read a newspaper or turn on the television, and there is news of financial crisis, job losses, higher taxes, and salary cuts, it is alarming. The list of calamity is endless, and one can't be blamed for being filled with gloom and despair. For many people who have lost their jobs, this is a very difficult situation. As they struggle to support their families through these adverse times, and attempt to make repayments on loans and fulfil financial obligations, it is no wonder that there is a sense of despair around.
After a recent visit to East Africa, I was challenged again by the injustice that many people face. One man said to me, "There is no credit crunch here as we have never had any credit to crunch". In many of the communities where Fields of Life works, the local people are peasant farmers trying to grow crops to produce enough food to feed their families. In other areas, many children are not attending school because there is no school in the local village and the nearest school is too far away. There is also the injustice of knowing over one billion people in the world today do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. Seeing many young and old people carrying dirty water long distances would touch the heart of even the most cynical.
It is amazing that these are things we take for granted here in the Western world, children going to school, clean water flowing from our taps, and being able to purchase our food in the shops. But for our friends in East Africa and other parts of the world, daily life is a struggle. The approach to life is totally different: you do not worry about tomorrow as today has enough struggles of its own. Surviving from one day to the next is the real challenge. Poverty is the norm and everyone makes the best of their own situation.
When I think of the economic situation the world now finds itself in, the thing that disturbs me most is the amount of money that has been lost in banks and stock markets around the world. The trillions of dollars wiped out or squandered through greedy and corrupt systems would have solved every problem of health, education, water, sanitation and infrastructure throughout the developing world. Now as we try to sort out the economic mess in our respective countries, the poorest of the poor continue to suffer even more.
We, as a society, face difficult challenges ahead. As we think of how we are going to get through the next few difficult years, our focus becomes very inward and introspective. In taking this approach, we are forgetting about our African neighbours as well as the many others in the third world who are impoverished and in need. So forgive me if I humbly ask you to continue to help those who need it most; further, never weary in extending your compassion to those less fortunate. Help make a difference, now is the perfect time to recommit to helping others to help themselves.
All the best!
Trevor