Dec. 15 2011
I had an experience today that really made me think how much I take for granted. I was talking with Mamma Sara and while we were talking a person came selling tomatoes. She bought 5 tomatoes and I asked what she was making for dinner. She said she just used the last money she had and did not know how she was going to feed 31 kids with 5 tomatoes. As a result I offered to buy something for the children to eat for dinner. The children had tomato stew and rice for dinner. For me this experience was less about be paying for the rice and more about how much I take for granted the fact that I have constant access to food. I have truly never felt real hunger and have always had access to food when I wanted. I know Mamma Sara would not have allowed the children to go hungry and would have found a way to feed them but I am glad I could help. For me it is scary to think that she goes through the experience often of being unsure how she is going to feed 31 hungry children. Giving this money brings up the idea of enabling. I am glad that I did this but I worry that the orphanage is too dependent on volunteer funds that it will never be able to maintain financials on its own. The hard part is having to look at things in the short term (i.e. kids eating) and the long term (orphanage being able to maintain independently). I think this is a definition of the struggle people who do service go through as a you balance the fine line between long and short term needs.
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| Sorting beans to make Red Red (this is beans with a red palm oil sauce) |
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| Food line, this happens at every meal. |
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| They all have their own bowls! |
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