BACK AT GRACE

We have settled into life back at the Orphanage and the team has begun teaching. Today we did a trip to an Ndola Compound which is where the poorest people (other than street people) live. Most of the children in the compounds don't get to go to school because their families have no money to pay for the uniform that is mandatory. We were going in to deliver food to the widows that Seeds of Hope Supports and as soon as we arrived we were surrounded by the local children. They desperately wanted their pictures taken because it was the only times they ever get to actually see an image of themselves. They would push each other out of the way to pose, and then all huddle around to look at the viewfinder and burst into giggles at the images of themselves. It was so incomprehensible to see them so full of joy and laughter when their living conditions are deplorable. They were all filthy dirty, and some of their skin was so dry the dirt was caked into their skin. Sugar and oil is sold by the tablespoon in little baggies because they can't afford to buy more than that much at a time. Everyone was outside sitting in the dirt, just waiting for the hours of the day to go by. This type of scenario is what World Vision goes into to support, and until you walk through one of these villages it is impossible to comprehend the poverty. The guilt and privilege I feel tonight does not feel pleasant and reminds me of the importance of drawing attention to this global issue rather than pretending it does not really exist. These people are human beings and we treat our animals better than these beautiful souls get to experience. Something is very wrong with that picture :(