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Born and
raised in Medellin, Colombia, I saw things I will never
forget. I have vivid memories of weekend trips from the city to the country.
The drive was long and tedious, but it gave me opportunity to observe the
landscape of Colombia.
We would
pass the city dump before our slow ascent up the mountains. The dump was where
many homeless people lived. To call it a tent city would have been a kindness.
These were huts made of cardboard, plywood, tin -- anything the people could
find to put a roof over their heads -- lying on a floor of refuse. One
particular image burned into my mind -- a small child, about three years old,
with big brown eyes and dark hair, barefoot and shirtless with little black
shorts that looked grey from the grime and dust. He was sifting through the
trash, picking things up, eating them. Skinny arms, legs, and face, but how big
his belly was!
To this
day, I can close my eyes and see this little boy as if he were standing in
front of me. This nameless child has been forever ingrained in my mind as the
face of my conscience.
For me,
life in Colombia
was a life of incredible contrasts -- so much material wealth and so much
poverty and suffering. While I understand that this is the case in every region
of the world, to a greater or lesser extent, I refuse to accept such facts as
"acceptable" or "normal."
I became a U.S. citizen as
soon as I turned 18, and despite my appreciation for citizenship, I have often
felt as helpless as I did then when I saw that child eating garbage. What can I
do? I have no money, no resources, little time. These have all been my excuses.
Half the people in the world seem to be starving; the other half dying of treatable
disease. War, ignorance, poverty…and I am only one person! Then came marriage,
two daughters to raise. Maybe it became convenient to feel helpless, to feel my
vote didn’t count. But Barack Obama changed all that.
A black man
with a Muslim name became president, and what was his platform? Hope! (All you
cynics need not continue to read.) President Obama inspired me to believe once
again in our democracy. He inspired me to remember that one person can
make a difference. But most of all, he made me remember that a democracy is a
government for the people and by the people. It isn’t just up to government
to take care of its constituency; responsibility lies within each of us as individuals.
Change, he
said, starts from the bottom up. Wouldn’t you know? I started to notice small
acts of kindness around me. The young woman who crossed King Street on a cold day to give a
homeless man a cup of hot coffee. The three Hispanic men on a rainy afternoon
in Atlanta who
helped an elderly gentleman push his stalled truck to safety out of a busy
intersection.
Perhaps
these good Samaritans didn’t find the solution to all of the world’s urgent
problems, but they made a difference. The question has long followed me:
"How can I honor that starving little boy who lives on in my
conscience?" The answer is all around me. As long as I make a difference
to somebody, I am honoring the memory of that child.
Through my
work as Outreach Coordinator for the Watauga County Democratic Party, I have
seen so many faces of kindness and generosity. Over Christmas -- and almost at
the last minute – many of our members pitched in to adopt 30 families that were
in need.
I’ve seen
women who had never put hammer to nail install windows at a Habitat for
Humanity house. Others, young and old, tirelessly work at places like
Hospitality House, Oasis, and in many of the local churches to make a
difference.
As Outreach
Coordinator, it is my mission to inspire anyone who will listen to turn off the
tv, put away that book, and give a little of their time. Believe me - I have
received far more in return than I have given. After spending a few hours at a
Habitat house, or at your local church’s charity initiative, you too
will be different, making change happen "from the bottom up."
Some of my
community involvement has been made possible because a friend helps out with
childcare. Even though we have opposing political views, we still agree that no
political affiliation should get in the way of helping someone in need. The
market on kindness and generosity has not been cornered by any specific
political party.
Although I
haven’t been back to Medellin
in over 25 years, and while people still live in cardboard and tin huts, I hear
there have been tremendous improvements in the lives of citizens. When I wake
up tomorrow, there will still be war, famine, disease, misery, but instead of
focusing on the impossibility of a situation, I will focus on what is possible.
As for that little boy, he will never leave my memory. Now when I see his face,
he is smiling. His mission is being accomplished.
Faisuly
Scheurer is chair of Community Outreach for the Watauga County
Democratic Party. To volunteer, you can e-mail her at Faisuly@hotmail.com.
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