Sowing Seeds Of Love
November 9, 2020
Kindness can mean different things to different people. Some will define it as being friendly, considerate, doing for others, and being generous among other things. Some definitions say it is treating people like you want to be treated yourself. It may involve choosing someone else’s wants over your own. It may be doing something for others and expecting nothing in return.
God’s Word is clear that we are called to help the poor. It may be a simple encouraging word, a smile or an act of kindness. Or God may call us to take up the cause of the needy by defending their rights.
We may be comfortably living in our apartments or houses. We may not be affected by hunger during this time of despair. But there are many people who may not have eaten a proper meal in the last few days. The turmoil caused by the COVID 19 pandemic is playing havoc in the lives of millions of people all around the world. We are all in this together. We can all do our bit. Let’s feed the hungry and help the less fortunate among us. Together we can make this world a better place. Caring for the poor, marginalized and disadvantaged makes a big difference in their lives. We all have the power to influence others. It is up to us, whether we are going to abuse that power to manipulate people or use it to help them. Empathy is a strong and useful personality trait. It is a challenging world, and we can make it better by providing a few compassionate acts of kindness.
Children brought up in the informal settlements have many unfulfilled dreams. Most of these slums are located directly in the middle of very affluent neighborhoods. The children, therefore, see their age mates picked up and dropped off in cars; they see the kind of lives the more well to do children live, but they are not able to participate. Most of the well to do in society are so busy thinking of ways to create more wealth, that they do not have time to observe what is going on in their surroundings, or to lend a hand when help is needed. The children in the more well to do families, however, also have a lot of unmet needs. They may seem all put together, but to a keen eye, this is not necessarily the truth. Many live a life of make belief; they, too, have need for love and affection that some rarely get, and when they do, it ‘can’ come from the wrong sources.
Speaking to the girls in the slums provides many insights about life. Hard as their lives may be, they do have hope for their future. Great talent has been realized from children living in the slums. They may not have access to quality education, but what they lack in the form of an education, they create in the slums. Most are street smart. Many of our great footballers, runners, actors and boxers come from these informal settlements.
As schools gradually open, we have to delicately balance between the girls at school and those still at home, especially the ones in the slums. We have kept our clubs open to them, so they don’t feel left out. Many are still at home, though schools have opened, as some lack the tuition fees and school supplies they need. We ensure that as we visit the schools, we give whatever support we can to some of these girls. The need for sanitary towels is still great, and we make sure we supply them to the girls during our visits. Taking our program to the slum dwellers shows love and concern. The girl’s faces light up the moment they spot us; they know they will receive an afternoon of teachings, counseling and guidance, and a warm meal to end the day. Motivation is something we all need from time to time and helping to motivate others is a kind and compassionate thing to do.
Sharing a home cooked meal with girls in our mentorship club from the informal settlements.
