I'm stuck here, not by the fact that there are so many poor, but by the injustice of it all. You see, you can't really even help the poor, unless you are VERY strategic.
This woman with a small child on her hip is one of many who will come and tap tap tap on your car widow when you're stuck in traffic. If you happen to make eye contact, she won't leave. If you say no, she won't leave. If you help her, all the others may swarm your car asking for aid too (and in Delhi, the traffic is so gridlocked that you may be there for a while). And if you help her, you don't know if she'll get to keep any of it for her and her baby or if she has to give it to someone watching. And mothers with babies are only some who tap tap tap. Then there are the children who perform between the cars hoping you'll roll down your window and just give them something. 
This family lives in an underpass. Daily cars scream past. You can see the little ones without clothes in the back. They have a bucket you can't see for taking baths and a small fire and pots to cook on. This is their, dare I say, home. And even though money goes really far here, I still can't roll down my window to give. It's dangerous when you're sitting in traffic and literally have no place to go if something were to go wrong. 
This is quite common - people on the side walk with their little stove. She might be selling small goods to get by, but when she's tired she'll take a nap here on the street-side. Just walk around the poor.
And of course, there are those who sleep anywhere they can, because they have nothing. But what makes me mad is not being able to help. We walked out of a restaurant on Monday and there was a woman on the walkway with a scale. Her way of making a living is to swat and wait for people who might pay a few rupees to get weighed. I commend her for finding a way to make a living instead of begging. I wanted Adonai to go and get weighed, just so we could help her. We were advised against it because truly, you don't know if she gets to keep any of the money. Even amongst the poor - CORRUPTION! How can you steal from the least of these? But it's such a reality.
At the train station the children mob us begging. Carl offered some snacks that he had and was turned down by one kiddo. He just wanted the money. Others were happy to take it, but not all. And why aren't these kids in school?!
There is HUGE value on education for some. It's almost difficult to get a job with only one degree because India is so well educated. But among the poor, there is no value. You have to test into school. Christian organizations have set up tutoring to help children place. Government schools aren't well regulated though as far as curriculum and testing, so sometimes the teacher only has a monitor watch the class while they go in the back and play cards. There are private schools, some are expensive, some are very affordable and they offer top-notch education. But even the government schools have something to offer - the kids do learn English (which knowing would help them get a better job here). But the parents would rather have them working than be in school. Income is more important than education, and so the cycle perpetuates itself. Joyce sat for 2 months, 8 hours a day teaching a girl the basics in math and reading so that she could place into school. The girl placed at 4th grade. She attended for a few weeks and then stopped going because her mother would send her to work cleaning houses so that the mom could take on more houses to clean. Needless to say, Joyce was furious.
I love Mukesh's school. He works in a slum and parents send their kiddos to their Christian school, knowing what it is, because it's only for a few hours and the kids are getting value out of it. Learning the basics and some of them have gone onto real school. You see, not all help is balked at.
There are ways to help the poor here; you just have to be strategic about it. You have to be conscious of how and when and where you help, especially as a Christian. But I want to give instantly - even 20 cents would go far, and it kills me that I can't.
But then I am thankful for people like Pastor and Mukesh who live here and know the right ways to poor out and truly help the poor. To give fish when needed, but to also teach how to fish. To offer prayer and healing in the name of Jesus, when silver and gold can't be given. Who poor in day over day with love.
Our church did an early Angel Tree for the children in the slums here. Yesterday we packed up 93 backpacks that will be given to the children at Christmas. Each child will receive a backpack, new shoes, socks, a sweater, a beanie, a lunch box, a pencil case, and three small toys. This all cost roughly $12 U.S. Back home, we could maybe get just the backpack for that price. And what a blessing it will be to the kiddos!!!
So, as frustrating as it is that there are so many poor, and there is so much injustice, it's encouraging to know that there is still hope. That people here are making a difference and know the right way to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment