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This boy is the primary care-taker for this baby
So beautiful
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This is the home of one of the construction workers' family--as many as 7 people live in this one space!
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So Augusta Paul, our religions/culture teacher has started a small NGO at her house for construction workers’ children. She takes in about 30 children every day (except Sundays) for 3 hours and teaches them to draw and color, and just generally gives them a safe environment to play with Lego’s and balls and skipping ropes. None of the children speak English (English is not the first language here in India, children only learn English if they have an education.) and Augusta doesn’t speak Tamil (which is the language of Tamil-Nadu a neighboring state of Karnataka-where Bangalore is.) Most of these construction workers have migrated to Bangalore to find work and find themselves without a familiar language and an extremely low paying job; but a job nonetheless. Of the 30 children, only 3 are receiving an education (a lot of them are still too young though.) Most of the children didn’t even know how to properly hold a writing utensil and so Augusta’s NGO has been working on that among other things such as polite behavior and sharing.
Andrew and I have been going over to Augusta’s to work with these children a few times a week and this experience has definitely got me thinking about how much I truly take my education for granted! There are many signs around Bangalore that are written in Kanada (Karnataka’s language), and it all just looks like squiggles to me. It can be frustrating because I have no idea where I am at times because I cannot read, and even worse because I cannot communicate properly with my auto driver. This is just a small glimpse of how these uneducated children will live the rest of their lives! To not be able to understand any written form of language and only speak a language of another state….if all written things looked like foreign squiggles to me….well the thought alone scares me. Education is a right of being an American citizen; as children we consider it a mandatory and necessary evil and complain about going to school. As children we fake sickness to get out of school, but if I could go back and do it all over again I would never complain about school again. I would wake up every morning and thank God that I got to learn to read and write, and learn history, and math (ugh still not fond of math, but I understand it’s importance). I would never again take for granted what God has allowed me to blessed with as being an American citizen.
Now let me explain a little bit about construction workers in India. They are one of the lowest of the low on the totem pole. When the caste system was the predominate way of running things in India the Dalits (the lowest caste) were the manual labor. They were the ones to do all the construction, all the farming, and the ones who moved the carcasses of deceased humans and animals. They were the brute of the population; the ones who worked the hardest physically, and the ones who were the least respected. Today the caste system is ‘abolished’ (I still have observed some undertones of discrimination) but manual labor still remains a low profession—a job for the uneducated, and poor class. It’s so amazing to watch construction workers—men and women alike hauling large baskets of bricks on their heads from point A to point B. It seems completely inefficient because modern technology has created machines to complete these simple tasks much quicker, but I’ve been told that the cost of labor is so cheap that many contractors choose to hire several people to haul bricks, than to employ the use of a bulldozer. The women on construction sites simply amaze me; watching them I realize just how strong God has made woman….these women are wearing Saris (which has got to be the hottest and most suppressing attire ever!) in the middle of the noon Indian sun, with a baby slung on their back, hauling what has got to be at least 50-100lbs of bricks on her head; then repeating this cycle over and over, day after day. Their children are then left unattended for hours at a time to roam, beg, or play in unsafe areas. The older children are given the task of watching and caring for the younger, and at Augusta’s house there were about 5 children that were 7 and 8 years of age all responsible for about 5 or 6 very young other children. It made me sad to see how fast the older children were forced to grow up. A 7 year old boy carrying a baby instead of playing ‘power rangers’ or making mud-pies, or the 8 year old little girl cradling a newborn instead of playing with a baby doll. It’s a sad day when you see children that have had their childhood stolen from them just because of the circumstances of their own birth. One of the many injustices that I have witnessed here in India.
Anyways some of the children took us to their house which was a one-roomed shack situated on the construction site and allowed me to take some video footage (which I cannot wait to incorporate in my documentary!) It was just as bad as the slums had been except for the fact of the over-crowdedness, but honestly after thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that it would be worse to live as a construction worker because they have no community…no sense of stability. We were told that in one of the houses as many as 7 people lived there. It blew me away! There was no furniture, and only a collection of pots and pans to cook in. A small fire burned outside the shack for warm bath water and another for cooking some simple rice. On the other side of the house a curtain hid away what I'm assuming was a hole dug in the ground for bathroom waste. One of the houses only had a curtain as a door, while the others had a wood plank. I will say one thing; I will never again take for granted my house in America. What amazed me was that these children fought over who got to show their houses to us…they were proud of their homes and happy to show them off. The innocence of children will never cease to bring a smile to my face and warm my heart. Like a breath of fresh air in a corrupt and evil and broken world, children will forever remain my hearts’ reminder that there is good in this world.
Andrew and I have been going over to Augusta’s to work with these children a few times a week and this experience has definitely got me thinking about how much I truly take my education for granted! There are many signs around Bangalore that are written in Kanada (Karnataka’s language), and it all just looks like squiggles to me. It can be frustrating because I have no idea where I am at times because I cannot read, and even worse because I cannot communicate properly with my auto driver. This is just a small glimpse of how these uneducated children will live the rest of their lives! To not be able to understand any written form of language and only speak a language of another state….if all written things looked like foreign squiggles to me….well the thought alone scares me. Education is a right of being an American citizen; as children we consider it a mandatory and necessary evil and complain about going to school. As children we fake sickness to get out of school, but if I could go back and do it all over again I would never complain about school again. I would wake up every morning and thank God that I got to learn to read and write, and learn history, and math (ugh still not fond of math, but I understand it’s importance). I would never again take for granted what God has allowed me to blessed with as being an American citizen.
Now let me explain a little bit about construction workers in India. They are one of the lowest of the low on the totem pole. When the caste system was the predominate way of running things in India the Dalits (the lowest caste) were the manual labor. They were the ones to do all the construction, all the farming, and the ones who moved the carcasses of deceased humans and animals. They were the brute of the population; the ones who worked the hardest physically, and the ones who were the least respected. Today the caste system is ‘abolished’ (I still have observed some undertones of discrimination) but manual labor still remains a low profession—a job for the uneducated, and poor class. It’s so amazing to watch construction workers—men and women alike hauling large baskets of bricks on their heads from point A to point B. It seems completely inefficient because modern technology has created machines to complete these simple tasks much quicker, but I’ve been told that the cost of labor is so cheap that many contractors choose to hire several people to haul bricks, than to employ the use of a bulldozer. The women on construction sites simply amaze me; watching them I realize just how strong God has made woman….these women are wearing Saris (which has got to be the hottest and most suppressing attire ever!) in the middle of the noon Indian sun, with a baby slung on their back, hauling what has got to be at least 50-100lbs of bricks on her head; then repeating this cycle over and over, day after day. Their children are then left unattended for hours at a time to roam, beg, or play in unsafe areas. The older children are given the task of watching and caring for the younger, and at Augusta’s house there were about 5 children that were 7 and 8 years of age all responsible for about 5 or 6 very young other children. It made me sad to see how fast the older children were forced to grow up. A 7 year old boy carrying a baby instead of playing ‘power rangers’ or making mud-pies, or the 8 year old little girl cradling a newborn instead of playing with a baby doll. It’s a sad day when you see children that have had their childhood stolen from them just because of the circumstances of their own birth. One of the many injustices that I have witnessed here in India.
Anyways some of the children took us to their house which was a one-roomed shack situated on the construction site and allowed me to take some video footage (which I cannot wait to incorporate in my documentary!) It was just as bad as the slums had been except for the fact of the over-crowdedness, but honestly after thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that it would be worse to live as a construction worker because they have no community…no sense of stability. We were told that in one of the houses as many as 7 people lived there. It blew me away! There was no furniture, and only a collection of pots and pans to cook in. A small fire burned outside the shack for warm bath water and another for cooking some simple rice. On the other side of the house a curtain hid away what I'm assuming was a hole dug in the ground for bathroom waste. One of the houses only had a curtain as a door, while the others had a wood plank. I will say one thing; I will never again take for granted my house in America. What amazed me was that these children fought over who got to show their houses to us…they were proud of their homes and happy to show them off. The innocence of children will never cease to bring a smile to my face and warm my heart. Like a breath of fresh air in a corrupt and evil and broken world, children will forever remain my hearts’ reminder that there is good in this world.
Luke 18:16-17 “…Jesus called the children to Him and said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
I always understood why Jesus loved the children, but I’ve been reminded of this time and again here in India in my experiences with the children here. My loves at the orphanage who called me ‘Rebecakka’, the babies at church that climb into my lap because they are fascinated by my blue eyes and fair skin, and the construction workers’ children who proudly take me by the hand to show me their home.
If only we could forget all our adult concerns; the recession, marital problems, being popular, our youthful appearances, that new car, losing weight, being ‘successful’*, etc. etc. and resort back to our childlike state where everything we see is with rose-tinted glasses. Where we don’t see status, or wealth, or beauty, but we see people for who they are: playmates, friends, and those to be loved, and to love us. If only we could revert to seeing the world as a playground, an adventure, something wonderful to be explored and appreciated. If only we could return to that state of childhood innocence once again. This childlike innocence would allow us to fully love others, and fully love God without inhibitions. Without concern for what others might think of us, or for our financial status, it would give us contentment. I understand why Jesus said that we had to be like children to enter the kingdom of heaven. We have to be innocent, but also full of joy and love, and content in every situation. We have to rid ourselves of our financial concerns, our materialism, and wanting to be accepted by this world to fully devote ourselves to Jesus.
So my challenge to both myself and you (if you are willing) is to try and live as a child today. To rid your mind of all adult concerns and worries and just take the day to explore LIFE! To see the sunrise and wonder where the sun goes while we sleep, to be filled with awe as the wind blows some dead leaves across the landscape, and not to be afraid to get wet in the rain but rejoice at how the cool wetness feels against your skin. Not to wear makeup, or care how you’re dressed, or feel guilty about eating that chocolate bar, or even worry about what’s for dinner(go out and have a Happy Meal if you so desire!) But most importantly explore the world, and love others innocently, and love God without inhibitions today. Tap into that childlike innocence for the day and just play, explore, and learn!
With all my love,
Rebecca Ann
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