Who Decides

The small boy appraises me carefully. He is standing on the side of a desolate road. From a short distance, he appears almost ghostlike, as the wind swirls fine dust around his little body. He moves in closer, and I crouch down so that we are eye level with one another. Up close, he is not at all ghostly. In fact, I am immediately struck by his sparkling round ebony eyes, framed by a face sprinkled with a fine white dust. When he smiles, his straight young teeth seem almost blue in contrast. I tell him my name. He quietly whispers his. On his small feet, he wears mismatched worn sandals. His red shirt is torn. He has skinned his little knees. I am absolutely stunned by how beautiful he is. This child lives in a small village in which there is little vegetation to provide shelter from the heat of the day. His town, once the site of a mine, has been largely forgotten. The mine has been used up, and the company has moved on to a new location, taking many of the men with it. Left behind are the women, children and grandparents. Resources here are scarce. The villagers lack clean drinking water. That is why we have come. With my limited Swahili, I can barely communicate with him. But we smile and make signs with our hands. “Who decides?” I think to myself. “Who decides how we will emerge into this world? Who decides that this boy is to be born in a place so barren and difficult? Who decides under what sky each of us emerges? Who decides this precious one’s fate?” I have no answers, and it troubles me. Yet, at a very deep level, that is why I am here. A man walks up and sees us together. He smiles at me and says, “It is OK to pick him up. Here, we hold our children.” Grateful for this permission, I lift the little guy and carry him with me to where the others are gathering for our meeting.

Mererani Village

Tanzanian Crafts in Santa Fe

Hey Santa Fe! You have two opportunities to find unusual and wonderful gifts from Tanzanian craftspeople for everyone on your list.

PAMOJA PROJECT SUNDAY

Sunday, November 22, 2015

9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Santa Fe Center for Spiritual Living, 505 Camino de Los Marquez, Santa Fe, NM 

ALTERNATIVE GIFT MARKET

Good Gifts and Gifts for Good

Sunday, December 6, 2015

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

First Presbyterian Church, 208 Grant Street, Santa Fe, NM

-Fair Trade Items, Baked Goods, Handmade Crafts-

100% of Proceeds from the Sale of Tanzanian Crafts will support vulnerable children and families in Northern Tanzania.

www.pamojaproject.org

505-470-6665

 

Illiteracy Isn't Always An Insurmountable Barrier

The other day I went to visit the mom of 2 boys and a little girl.
Janeth first came to our office for help a few years ago when her whole life, and that of her family, had been turned upside down.
 
Janeth was an illiterate wife brought from far distant area whose husband had given her HIV. At the time we met, the couple had just recently discovered their HIV status when the older boy became quite sick and was given an HIV test in the hospital. She was scared, dependent upon her husband (who'd started to drink) and unsure where to turn. Our counselor worked with the couple, obtained medical care for the boys, and things seemed to settle down.
 
Fast forward to yesterday.
After living for years on the small amount her husband makes as a butcher, Janeth has started a little business selling socks. She buys them in town and resells for a bit more in the market near her home. Janeth requested a bit of capital so that she can buy more at a time- and get a quantity discount.
 
 But how did she make change, keep track of money, since she cannot read, write, or do math and has never been to school?
 
Janeth told me she keeps track by selling her socks for 1,000 shillings each- fixed price, no bargaining. Tanzanian bills are in 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 notes, so she can easily keep track in her head according to the number of pairs bought and the bills exchanged. As long as she stays in base 10 (remember this from high school math?) she's fine.
 
Janeth seems empowered, loves having something that is all her own, and is proud of the progress her family has made. And the little surprise package on her lap? Karen is not infected and Janeth assured us that she now has permanent birth control in place.
 
Thanks for keeping me company. I'm headed home tonight!