He wrote about one of his days in Bangladesh...
... Anyway, I kept ignoring this little boy while he kept saying, “boss, boss”. Finally I told him, “tumi, eidike asho (come over this way)” and I beckoned him to this small store that I knew. The store is a unique one in Dhaka in that it has a lot of imported products like doritos and or course chocolate. I picked out and bought a 40 Taka Kit Kat Bar (~60 cents), opened it, took a small bite then gave the rest to him, just so that he couldn’t sell it, and would have to eat it himself.I then got on my bus, and I looked out the window and saw him with a huge smile on his face, eating this chocolate bar and dancing in the street. He came up to the bus to wave while I left. It was a really special sight. At first I felt content, that I had done something good, but as I thought more it really struck me that a chocolate bar doesn’t change anything. He might be dancing on the street today, but what about his future? Before I could catch myself I was fighting back tears while I was sitting in my seat, and I wrote a few words down:
“my heart is so full of emotion, surprised at myself that I’m fighting back tears on a bus ride I take every day. Screaming through my mind is the question, ‘Why?’…I’m shocked at the disparity in the world, How is this fair Lord? when will your justice reign on earth? when will you give strength to the week, bless the poor? I just bought a little boy a kit-kat but that’s not enough. How come I grew up in excess when there is so much lack in the world? Lord, where are you in all of this?”
I know there aren’t any easy answers to the problem of poverty. I just hope that when I leave Bangladesh and re-enter a western world I won’t commit what seems to me as the worst possible thing. To forget that they exist, to ignore that there are fellow people suffering, to not care.
Taken From blog Lincoln in bangladesh
About Lincoln:
I am currently on an internship funded by CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) through SIM (Society of International Ministries). I will be a Health Support Intern from August of 2007 until July of 2008.
Lincoln's experience is just as true as I am alive. It brought me hundreds of memories, cruel true memories of watching helpless people. I probably did something little to help someone sometimes, but compared to the enormous number of sufferers who did nothing wrong except just being born there, it didnt make any difference. I wish I could know how to !!
For many last weeks, I have been drowned by the enjoyment of living a peaceful life, where nothing seems to be wrong, nothing seems to unfare. But the truth is out there!
At least I got a bit relief knowing again that not all living in the west feel disgust looking down to the third world. At least not all deny the truth... the baby did not choose to be born in the third world.
Now I even feel shy to see my wedding pictures in my blog... thinking of the expenses there and how much difference that amount could make to someone else!!!
I am gonna end with another quote from Lincoln's blog
When I first got here many of the beggars and people in rags really got to me, and the shock is starting to wear off, but I pray that it never will.
- Lincoln in Bangladesh
