THE HUMANITARIAN: ZAMBIA 2008 REFLECTION - BOLDNESS

"IE!!!" (NO!!), "STOP!!" How bold I was and maybe using less wisdom. I was standing in the middle of two young street boys surrounded by a crowd of street kids, stopping a fight that quickly escalated over probably something petty. Pointing my finger, I told one boy to go in one direction and the other in the opposite. They listened to a foreigner. The fight stopped and the crowd dissipated as quickly as it started.

My team visited a street market in downtown Lusaka. The local team also had a food feeding program here, trying to help kids who were living in the market. By day they roamed the streets; at night when the wet market was closed , they slept underneath the wooden tables and stalls. Zambia has its winters too. During winter, temperatures drop down to 40-50 degrees enough to feel the chill if one wears tattered clothes. In order to not feel the hunger pangs or the cold, these kids sniff "sticker", a combination of glue and paint thinner. As I try to talk to one of them through a translator, the smell of sticker permeated their lips and from a plastic bottle. Despite their high, they listened to us with intent.

The government just issued a policy of no feeding street kids. One would have to get special permission. So during the day, our team brought some kids to the market and paid for their meals in some food stalls. 

The last night of our trip was the most memorable. It was a night feeding and our team had obtained a permit to feed the hungry street kids. "For your safety, keep your belongings hidden inside the car," our leader said. Hence, there are no pictures to capture this evening, only in my memory. Our group, including the local outreach team, was about 30 people. The number of street kids that gathered in the empty parking lot... 300. 

As our team was talking to the big group before we give out food, a young lady (we'll call Shiela for anonymity) who was apparently high became a distraction. In their Zambian language, she was loudly talking to the boys. In my super religious thinking, I initially thought she was demon possessed. But God proved me wrong... My friend began to tell her story. She wore a cast on her leg for a reason. Her parents passed away because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. So she was left to the care of her relatives who sold her to a man a few days before we met her. He unfortunately took Shiela to an unknown location and sexually abused her. Three days later, he brought her back into the city and during a busy street, he pushed her out of the car. She fell out and into oncoming traffic, hence the cast on her leg. Our team took her to the hospital and cared for her. She was prolly on anesthesia or on sticker that night so she doesn't feel the pain. Suddenly, I saw her differently - with a broken heart rather than a judgmental mind. Her story and the images never left my mind.

I'm not going to end this blog on a sad note. Although there are hundreds of sad stories of children, there are positive ones too. The majority of the boys at the orphanage I worked during this trip are now in school or working. They grew up living normal lives. I hope to see a couple of them soon. Shiela is now a beautiful 17-year old high school student, healed from her wounds. For me, this trip solidified my reason of pursuing a public health degree 10 years ago. I continue to use my profession, both as a paid job and volunteer work, to live out my calling - help children all of the world lead healthy and happy lives.