I had previously arranged to visit the local rubbish tip to help out with the supplying food to the homeless children who live there. A group of ten or so of us had volunteered, and with the donations we contributed the food we bought at the local market went a very long way.
The truck pulled up at the tip and what I saw was very shocking. Dozens of people sifting through the rubbish trying to find scrap, plastics and metal in order that could later sell it to buy food. The stench was overwhelming, and no doubt the people that live here are subject to numerous diseases.
Two lines were formed behind the truck. One for the boys; and one for the girls and mothers with babies. It was my role to ensure that the line with the girls and women did not push forward and prevent crushing, as they gave out the food from the rear of the truck. Also to make sure that the women did not pass around the babies in order to get more food. Overall it was a very emotional and moving experience. The sad thing is that the government choose do nothing about it (I think they’re too busy driving around in their 4x4 Lexus in the city!)
We stayed for a while and played for the children. Forgetting their circumstances they are just like every other child, they just want to play and be loved. (I could have easily took one back with me!)
Here, the innocence of the children is short lived. This made it hard leaving them, as we headed back into the city to carry on with our lives as normal. I was left feeling very emotional about the whole experience but glad it opened my eyes, and hopefully I made a small difference.
