The missionarys notes: a sudden coming back to reality
It was evening. Coming back from a usual charity “outing” in which our team took part, we made up our minds to stop and wait for the other SUV. The desert was stretching all around - typical, picture-postcard one. One more reason to stop was a shack made from reed and tree branches – a typical dwelling of the tribe Turkana people – that was easily seen far from the road. On coming up, we saw the dwellers: five kids, an elderly woman (granny) and a middle-aged woman (mother). We started the conversation. The family turned to be religious, on Sundays they visited the nearby church. The mother herself was trying to teach her children English and Math the best she could as she used to attend school some time ago. There was the father in the family but as he worked too far, the women were left on their own. By the way, it is quite a typical situation. It is up to a women to do everyday chores to support their living, to settle a dwelling place, to bring water, to upbring children...
In a while, it was just an hour before the sunset, the elder child came back with a 30-liter jerrycan of water. She carried this huge container on her head. She could carry it herself but to put the jerrycan on her head she needed somebody to help her. The nearest source of water is a river 6 km away. The quality of this liquid leaves much to be desired and it is mildly said. The girl is 14. Her job is to bring water for the family. Before the midday intense heat, in the morning (all the Kenyans live according to daylight) she makes a trip to bring somethig to drink. Then, closer to the evening she manages to repeat it one more time. Total of 24 kms a day, half of this distance – with the 30kg jerrycan on her head. And there seem to be no changes in her life in view...
Now I am on my way to the hotel. It is a comparatively comfortable one and a half star hotel. Still the conveniences such as water in the shower, electricity from the generator are available. Even with bats and lizards in the rooms, half open reed ceiling and little local food I can definitely make it for 10 more days here till the end of the tour. Then, I am going to come back home, where everything is familiar, where there is enough food and comfort...
Suddenly understanding of what is going on has come to me! They have no place to come back! Even having a zeal and taking prodigious efforts won`t help. There is nothing left for them but just to live... to live in the blessed oblivion, with no idea about all the problems we face to pay for the comfort we have. To live beneath the stars and wake up with the first rays of the sun. To carry jerrycans with water, to try to teach children, to go to church on Sundays, to pray to God and just to live.
So, what exactly shapes our reality? I think it is our approach to it. Consciousness generates objective reality.
Author: Ed Sivets
Published: 2014-04-17 16:13