It's not fair

Do you remember playing in your neighborhood as a child, and feeling the rage within you boil to almost exploding when the neighborhood bully - who was bigger, older and stronger than you - sauntered up, swiped your best friend's favorite doll, and gave it to his dogs to wrestle with?  Do you remember wanting to scream for all you were worth, 

"It's Not Fair!!"

This is how I felt yesterday when I accompanied Hannah-Grace to the English Club she teaches at Kibogora Primary School.  The Club is held at 5 p.m., after school is out for the day.  Over 250 students stay for this opportunity to learn English from a native speaker (Hannah).  

Hannah had asked me to come just to see all the children - so I was able to observe and take pictures and not worry about teaching at all - nice.  

Since there is no classroom large enough for such a crowd, they meet outdoors and sit on the ground.  

Since there is no sound system - no electricity at the school whatsoever - she must almost yell to be heard by all those children.  

Since they have no kind of portable blackboards (much less power point or smart boards!), some strong young boys carry out an old, heavy, wooden door - complete with many splinters on the edges, and prop it up against a makeshift tripod for her write the words she is teaching.  

Since they have no eraser, the door is filled with chalk dust from the teachers using it all day in the classroom.  So, as best she can, she erased the whitened black door with her hand and tried to write boldly enough for the chalk marks to be seen in the back of the rows of students.  

The children strained to hear every word Hannah said.  They were so happy to be there!  You'd think they'd been given free tickets to Schlitterbahn Water Park or Disney World.  She had absolutely not one single discipline problem the entire hour she taught the class.  Not one.  The children were so thankful for someone to help them learn.  

(I think it makes the club even more cool that she is a young adult, instead of some middle aged grownup - and that her hair is super long.  Everyone always wants to play with her and Ruthie's hair!)  

After the club was finished, about 40 students walked us home, practicing what we'd studied all the way home with us, and grateful for us spending the extra time with "just them". 

In the middle of the club, I looked across at all the sincere, beautiful, intent and happy faces and suddenly it was all I could do to not start bawling.  Suddenly, I felt like a six year old again, angry that the bully was picking on my friend, and wanting to scream to the heavens,

IT'S NOT FAIR!  

Why are the resources in this world so very unevenly distributed?  Why do schoolteachers here so often not get paid at all, because their government, which is doing the very best it can under some tough circumstances, has run out of funds?  Why must teachers struggle to even keep chalk in their classrooms?  Why are all the classes so overcrowded? (There are routinely about 70 kids per classroom, with one teacher, all day long.)   Why do the students never have enough paper or books, pens or pencils?  Why do the children only get to come to class for half days, because there are so many children, they have to have two school sessions daily to accommodate all the students with the building available?  Why is the students' strong, eager desire to learn so often thwarted by the lack of basic opportunities and supplies, supplies that we in America would look upon with disdain as completely unacceptable?

I am not saying we in America are the bully causing this inequity.  Americans are some of the most generous people I've ever met, and they rush to help fill needs whenever they see them.  Many of you have donated to us so generously all year long.

The bully is evil, plain and simple.  The bully, I suppose, is the cumulative effect of both mankind's selfish choices in the world up til now, and the devil doing all he can to ruin life for as many as he can.   The Bible says that the devil comes to "steal and kill and destroy" and that "he prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour".  I'm convinced he thinks he can devour many of these people - and I guess he is devouring some of them, short term.  But long term?  He can't do it.  These children are precious to Jesus, they are close to his heart - and one day, I know all will finally be set right.   "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

These children don't have food a lot of times, they don't have pencils, pen and paper, but many, many of them have Jesus.  They love him, they trust him, and they are thankful for whatever he gives them. They believe in Heaven as surely as they believe in the ground on which they sit in that English club.  Their hope is in that day when Jesus will come to take them home.

Honestly, I do not know enough to understand why so many African children in so many African countries are deprived, daily, of basic necessities such as parents, water, clothing, food, health care and education.  All I know is, as I watched this English club in progress, and proudly and thankfully  watched my daughter (yes, I'll admit it, I was pretty dang proud) doing a stellar job under way less than stellar circumstances,  I felt that familiar rage start to boil.  WHY can't these children have more?  WHY can't they have what I had?  WHY is the world this way?  WHY can't we fix it?

Then, to add insult to injury, I thought of all the times I was silly and unappreciative in school.  How many times my patient teachers had to tell me:  "Turn around, Linda", "You can talk to your friends after school, Linda", "Pay attention, please, Linda!",  "Please stop talking, Linda!"  How many times I didn't understand the value of what I was being given, handed on a silver platter, when at that very moment, millions of children would have given anything - ANYTHING - to have my opportunities.

I do know that one day, our earthly opportunities will not matter anymore.  One day, those who know Jesus will have more than all they need, and no one will suffer lack of any kind, ever again.  That is some solace.  I know this life is fleeting.  But still ~ the unseen bully who is keeping these people down, who is keeping these children from having the basic necessities of life - just really makes me mad.