Someone wanted to know if Africa was a suitable country for children to visit. Absolutely. It would be beneficial for kids to see their counterparts playing happily in front of one-room mud shacks. They could learn a lot from the poor. So could their parents.
They’d learn a cold shower is better than no shower.
They’d know what it’s like to laugh and cry at the same time
They’d see that the toughest stares can usually be melted away with a wave or a smile.
They’d see that in most of the world, children don’t tease each other as much about their clothes and adults don’t nitpick a friend’s wardrobe. Just having clothes far outweigh irrelevancies like colour clashes or seasonal choices. That old man with the hole-filled sports coat worn on a 40 degree day isn’t trying to be fashionable. It’s probably one of the only pieces he owns. The same goes for the child in a school uniform on a Sunday.
They’d learn most Third-World citizens view employment as gold, and they’d rarely hear someone say the words not my job.
They’d understand why people around the Third World don’t become angry when a car breaks down or a village loses power. They know they are privileged to have them.
They’d see that offers of food and drink are rarely refused. Even if the food is half-eaten or removed from its wrapper. It’s never considered impolite to offer nourishment.
They’d understand the constant struggle to stay clean in streets without pavement and with feet without shoes.
They’d recognize that poverty doesn’t automatically equate to unhappiness. Some of the biggest smiles we’ve seen have been in areas where people have the least.
They’d know that their mother was right. There are people starving in Africa. Eat your vegetables.
