|
One day, a lady from the community and I went into some communities to have talks with the people in the streets. We wanted to know what had caused the great increases in street children numbers, child trafficking, teenage pregnancies, armed robberies, poverty, unemployment, thge number of abandoned children, illiteracy and other abusive acts. Our roaming got us many challenging issues which were disheartening. We thought it was important to share them with you.
We observed that many people are discriminated against, especially, children and women, and that they lack the basic financial and material resources to cope with life. They also lag far behind the national standards of living and development indicators as they do not have access to education and other facilities. There has been a great mixture of disappointment and hope in the communities.
Based on this background, we thought we could make a difference in the lives of these people through any simple activities that we undertook to demonstrate our care and concern for these people and to show our citizenship and social responsibility to the community where we live in. As a result, a foundation by the name of the Paajaf Foundation has been set up to show our care and concern for these poor people since we are socially responsible as human beings in the community. We invite you too come to their aid as you are citizens of the world.
Our walk into the streets got us many children, youth and women. As we talked to one woman we recognized a tone in her voice that had not been evident at first. We were looking at a woman, but we were taking to a child. Her appearance had deceived us. Hidden inside an adult façade was a child pleading for rescue. As we approached this woman she began to tell us about her life. Apparently, the woman was restless; there was a mixture of disappointment and hope in her life.
She began by unfolding her story. At first she was moving around her chair and later her words began to overflow, not because we were listening to her but because she could see that we understood. She spoke of her childhood tragedies, her history of broken relationships and lost opportunities and her despair for her and her children’s futures. We realized that for her, as for many children and other youth and women, the scar-producing pain of her past had become the blueprint for her present and the structure of her vision for her future.
This woman had been in so many foster homes that eventually she had forced herself to lose count. In the process, she had experienced various levels of treatment from those she had lived with- from brutal to loving, and from abusive to caring. In order to survive, she had developed her own protective world. This world did not allow reality to factor into her life. Over the years she developed a shell of protection- she was ultimately rejected by friends, employers and family.
Perhaps, you will find yourself in the same situation as this woman. When it happens do not allow the past events or experiences to control your future since it is not good. It can affect your future relationship, job, friends and many other things. Know that to be hurt is inescapable in human life. At time you may feel that things are working well for you, another time you may not have it as expected. The world we live in is dynamic. Sometimes things work according to expectations, but you may not find it the same another time.
What will happen if you forgo the past stories which are uncouth and can streamline the beauty of your future? What would happen, if you were to share this story with your pastor, parents, grandparents, school councilor, and any other adult? Do not allow your past hurts to control your future since it is not good. If you do, your future relationships, jobs, friends and many other things would be affected.
God bless you!
|
1
Tags
You must be logged in to add tags.
|
Writer Profile
PHILIP KYEI APPIAH
I am Ghanaian, Christian, and the Director of Paajaf Foundation. This Foundation is a humanitarian services organization which seeks to show care and concern for orphans, other vulnerable children and women in Ghana.
|
Comments
You must be a TakingITGlobal member to post a comment. Sign up for free or login.
|
|
