The Outcasts

Same spot, different colours, the traffic intense. My shoes were already dusty at this point and my clothes soaked in sweat.

After three hours of what seemed like a never ending journey, I reached my destination and alighted from the bus. I collected my change and noticed four children beckoning to me and greeted me warmly, beaming with smiles. I had a gut feeling that I should get them some snacks, so I did that with the money left with me.

What I gave may have looked like chicken scratch to some but it meant a great deal to those little children. They hurried off with gratitude in their eyes but I called them back. I was intrigued by their response.

“Where do you live?” I asked them.

“This way!” The children happily trotted off in the direction of their home.

As we walked along, I got lost in my thoughts. It occurred to me that most of us, when honest with ourselves, will acknowledge that our lives were shaped, at some point, by someone who took the time and effort to pour something into our lives.This might have been a parent, teacher, or community leader.

There are many vulnerable children who are out there who are not typically afforded this luxury. In poverty stricken areas like mine, parents struggle daily to care for their children. Often the parents are sick or dying from AIDS, some are injured, or have TB or another disease. These tragedies create child-headed households.

It is exactly what it sounds like – children trying to provide for children. There also are many young girls who are rescued from desperate situations where they are running from being married off too young, escaping FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), being rescued from child labor or child trafficking, or other abusive situations.

I was jolted back to reality by an approaching car that was coming at a high speed. At this point we were already in front of their home. They were happy to show me around; I could hear the joy in their voices.

I realised that they did not live with their biological parents but rather a kind, a middle-aged woman, named Mama Beatrice, who out of the benevolence of her heart had taken them in. When they narrated their story of how they met me, she received me warmly.

Though she didn’t have much, she offered me something to eat and shared the stories of how she encountered some of the children.

“First was Peter, rescued from deep neglect at 9 months old. I found baby Peter when he was ill and malnourished weighing just 10 pounds. His short life had been full of incredible sadness and survival, not exactly what a little baby should be dealing with. He was seen by a doctor and got several antibiotics for the three different infections that filled his weak body.

“Within a few days, he started responding to the medication, nutritious food, and the love I showered him with. He is now a healthy part of a family who absolutely adores him. And he has a bright future that has been re-written and filled with hope.”

Next she spoke of Sam. “Sam! This little boy is cheeky, smart, inquisitive, and has a smile that can’t be beat! His mother died in childbirth, making him an instant orphan. He was brought to me by a neighbour where he has been loved and cared for ever since.

“He is just starting primary school and while I am sure he does his fair share of talking when he should be listening, we can’t help but smile when he looks at us with his big brown eyes. This is one loved little boy who will have a very bright future because of the love of many.”

She continued. “Then there is Hope: This precious girl was trafficked and in the process contracted HIV. She now lives with this disease and receives HIV antivirals via the Kenyan government. She was rescued from an extremely traumatic situation and now lives with me.

“She is surrounded by many others who love her and show no difference in how she is treated, without stigma or exclusion. Here, she has a safe, comfortable place to live and receives an excellent education and trauma therapy. She receives much needed nutrition and medical care so she can live a long, healthy life. She will no doubt change her world!”

When Mama Beatrice was done, she offered to see me to the gate as I bade the children farewell with teary eyes. A greater resolve stirred up in me that day to help those who are less-privileged around me. Then it occurred to me that working to bring about change in developing communities is a very thoughtful process. 

As I walked home that day, I remembered a quote I was told when I was still in secondary school: “If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one I will.” – Mother Teresa

So let’s start where we are to be the change we want to see in the world.

Let’s do all the good we can with love and respect.

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Need more great fiction? Check these out from the MockingOwls around the world.

• For Sale
• Utterance
• Memories on a Rainy Evening
• An RAF Childhood
• Faith and Dandelion Seeds
• The Boy at the Back of the Room
• Hanson Opperknockity
• Light Hues of the Soul
• Man in the Shadows
• Gertrude and Alice Go on Holiday
• A Sighting