We set up the tables right on the road next to the bus for a
quick lunch. When I look up from making a cheese sandwich I am surrounded by a
mob of grinning boys.
“What do you cheeky boys want?” I ask. They giggle and
signal “food” by touching their fingers to their mouths.
“Okay, how many of you are there?” I ask, wondering how I’m
going to pull off this impromptu catering exercise.
I count shiny heads out loud: “One, two, three…through to
10. No wait, there’s more…11, 12, 13…. Little black faces and outstretched
hands are multiplying before my eyes!
I reach into my food bag, with comical echoes of Jesus
feeding the multitudes, and break open several packets of biscuits and press
one biscuit into each little hand. I share my cheese sandwich. I find a packet
of almonds and some crisps and a few bananas. The jostling boys are giggling
with delight.
I glance across the road to see a crowd of curious local
women gathering and I worry that the mothers are cross with their sons for
begging. When I smile and wave, they rush across the road and also line up for
food! I give one woman a jar of mayonnaise, another a jar of peanut butter, a
carton of milk, a block of chocolate…everything I have! Some of my friends join
in and give what they have; an avocado, some bread, a bottle of juice! The
women are delighted by this spontaneous encounter with a busload of white
tourists!
I know hand-outs will not solve global hunger and poverty in
any sustainable way. I just wanted to share my lunch. It would be rude not to!
Hiking Boots
I believe in sharing what I have. My new hiking boots were covered in mud after the gruelling gorilla trek in Kisoro, southern Uganda. Contemplating how I would carry them back to Nairobi, I hit on a brainwave! I would give them to the young guide who treks the mountainous region every day. He would get much more use from them than me and besides, in my consumer world back home in the UK, I can jump on Amazon and order a new pair any time I fancy.
On a roll, I give him my snazzy Velcro sandals, a hoodie, my
sleeping bag and cushion, my towel and backpack. I am relieved to lighten my
load of bulky items and my young friend is rapt with his unexpected bonanza of
useful gear. Somehow this act of sharing has formed a bond between us and I
know I will stay in contact with Godfrey, who is devoted to supporting the needy
in his community.
I am also a generous tipper. I have travelled East Africa,
peeling off notes in various local currencies to tip helpful service staff,
drivers and tourism workers. The extra money I press in their hands is a small
amount to me but makes a huge difference to people working hard for low pay to
support their children and extended families. My generosity is a way of
blessing people and showing kindness.
Cynics accuse “do-gooders” like me of selfish motives; they
sneer down their noses thinking I give to make myself “feel good”. Yes, I
admit, I do feel good in the act of giving. I really enjoy the buzz of seeing
someone’s face light up! Giving fills my heart with pure joy, love and empathy.
By a happy accident of fate, I was born in the developed
world and have enjoyed opportunities to make money and have a high standard of
living. I am not intrinsically better than the billions of people who live in
poor countries. I do not possess superior skills or abilities. In fact the
people I’ve met in East Africa are much smarter than me, having mastered
several languages and cultivated the ingenuity to survive and thrive in
extremely tough conditions.
I believe resources are not mine to grasp with tight-fisted
entitlement. The resources of the planet are meant to be shared. And so I share
what I have and enjoy giving whenever I can. We are one world, one humanity,
one big global family.
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