Learning the value of a dollar

That morning I travelled…I suppose I was looking for signs of trouble like anyone in my position would do. Rumor had it that this woman had done it again. Taken her children away and taken off with them and now the little girl was comfortably a house girl while the boy had taken on menial jobs to help feed his family. So I was in a violent mode something or someone had to intervene. I could not wait for that Matatu to fill up fast enough. It was taking its time and the tout was not being amusing by making passes at my adopted daughter..”shameless….” am a mother you understand that this things go on in my mind at some point.

Finally we arrived at where we thought that they lived and bounced majorly….Man (okay damn!!!) …so she was going to make this difficult. I was imagining walking into the government office and reporting this whole issue but for some reason I wanted to give her a chance. Its only fair that one is allowed to explain themselves…true..?

Okay after trekking around for two more hours we finally reached the home. I had come along with her daughter who is also under sponsorship and staying with me because she knows the area well. Then we saw her not so little brother who is now 13 years of age looking like an old young man in the black gamboots and mainly not clean…I honestly almost shed that tear. This according to me was dangerously unfair. After much greeting between the two siblings (I was almost forgotten) we proceeded to their homestead (if we could call it that).

I was taken straight to a wooden shack… and the door to a tiny kitchen which could only fit the two of us, the smoking hearth and a few dishes could be seen. Immidiately my guard went down and I found myself ready for dialogue. Something was not right here ..one could see it. I put my camera off ..there was no way I was going to put this on any website or social site. It is the other side of humanity we pray that we may never see.

A struggling mother with four children who cannot do anything for herself. She is sitting here in the middle of a smoking tiny tiny room pouring her heart to me. She is telling me that she could have taken the two kids to school but the problem was that she could not earn enough to keep them there.

I have often wondered about that after this. The value of a dollar. How 1 dollar from 100 people could easily add up to a whole term fee.. how 10 dollars could easily buy the needed school supplies…how many out there would be touched to embark with us on this journey. I looked at the whole situation and knew I needed to do something. The eyes of both the girl and the boy conveyed directly what their souls felt. I could read the hint of hope, the desperation…I could see how they looked at their elder sister with such envy maybe thinking that she was better off in her life away from this household.

The young have been forced to mature at such a young age. Maybe it would be easier for the little girls in class six to get married off and get away from all this? But is that really the case? Would we put her through this when I can see she has such a bright mind , when I can see how the genius of the young man has helped keep this home in balance? Should I blame the mother for not being able to provide? She gets sick you know…a kind of depression that makes her mad…she even knows it ..doesnt hide it. Prays that God would intervene…

So I leave there and my heart is heavy. Am considering how important and how valuable a dollar could be. I know I have to give a solution I cannot let this children wrong it would hurt my conscience for eternity. I know though am not alone in this. There are people out there who know how they can make their dollar valuable. There are those of us who have already learnt this lesson…. It takes the little action to make a little change. I am looking for that person on behalf of this children who will agree to be that powerful agent of change that will help us motivate and improve and give an education to this children. If you would like to help the email address is info@oloi-travels.com or emily714miller@gmail.com