It's good
to have time to think. When I was in London, even the UK in general, everything
was done when it needed to be done, and with having the luxury of a car one
never really needed to wait. The downside of course is less thinking time. With
work, I think I always moved as close as possible to reduce commuter stress
(& cost), and so the last time I remember really having any thinking time
would be when I was 16, 17 years old and used to walk to Littlebourne from
Bekesbourne to get the bus to college. Didn't I do any walking or hiking since
then? Well, I guess I did, but then my mind was on the walk itself, or work.
Maybe I just didn't have the mental stimulation that living in Africa is giving
me.
I went to
the bike fundi to fix a puncture. It was on the way back home from the office,
so it was not a long walk, and the fundi was about halfway. He was a very good
fundi: thorough; checking for thorns in the tyre etc, and while I was sat
waiting there were 3, at times 4, other guys sat around on their pikipikis,
waiting for someone to turn up so they could become a bodaboda (taxi). There
was some conversation between all the men, and at one point they said something
to me, and I had to tell them I didn't understand. Then it became clear the
conversation involved language and reading, but I wasn't sure about much else.
Then one of the younger guys got off his pikipiki and came to me with his hand
out and said "I need 300 shillings". Which, ok, is not a lot. But I
am glad to say that my reaction was a calm one: I looked him in the eye and
said "mimi ni volunteer: mimi si mtalii" and just carried on looking
at him until he withdrew his hand and walked away. (I am a volunteer, I'm not a
tourist.) He laughed and went back to his bike, and eventually went away, at which
point I tried to memorise his number plate silently avowing never to go on that
bodaboda... When the fundi had finished, I explained in Swahili that I am
studying the language, slowly, and thanked him for his work. He was very nice,
and I didn't want to give the impression that I'm here and not caring about the
language or culture. But I was initially rather cross about how the
conversation and atmosphere changed when they realised I didn't speak their
language and so their opinion of me changed, and it got me thinking on the
remaining walk back home: how to say certain sentences and words in Swahili,
such as "I've been working all my life, why should I just give you the
money?", & "Go and find work if you need money - I did. Get inventive!
Creative! Use the brain God gave you!" and then wondering if this is
unfair, or inappropriate. On the one hand it makes me angry, but on the other
of course they're used to handouts, and if you don't ask you don't get. It's
certainly not the first time I've been asked for some money but previously I
just said no and laughed it off, but this time felt different: I was more
disappointed, I guess, because I felt the change from the people. I'm sure I
will continue to be asked for handouts all the while I'm here, and I need to
think about some words and sentences I feel happy to use next time I'm asked.
Having all this extra time to think is a luxury which, as you highlighted, we have very little in the "Western world" - we keep our minds so occupied that we even fill our spare time with activities and games, such as swimming, social networking or watching television. As a culture we have forgotten how to stop without planning ahead and thinking of tomorrow, without worrying about what might happen, without simply pausing...and appreciating where we are and actually, genuinely, relaxing! There are significant health benefits to doing this and I'm sure that you'll find an interesting comparison in the types of health complaints between the two cultures - one being more biological, the other being more psychological/stress orientated.
ReplyDeleteAs for the demanding money, I can understand your frustration. However, it is very likely that this behaviour has been conditioned into these people by ourselves - have we not taught them to associate "Westerners" with charity? Through our conditioning, it is probably just as natural to them to ask a Westerner for money as it is for us to pop into the freezer isle in the local convenience store. This may also apply to the work ethic - if these poor people have not seen a different example, have not been shown any other means, how can they realise their potential and compare? As far as they are concerned, "this" is how to live and everyone else is better or more able. Allowing them to watch and teaching by example only reinforces this way of thinking - this is what you and the VSO team are managing to overcome by involving the communities you work with, by allowing them to experience how positive changes can be made and by progressively passing the responsibilty to them as they develop and succeed in realising that they are not separate from the rest of the world in terms of their skills, their abilities and their potential.
I'm very proud of the work you're doing Vikki.
Good points bro, I'm sure you're right. Thanks for your support :-)
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