Dear Mr President
Your lux life is never far from the media's eye. Your enormous Nkandla village, the growing number of first ladies and your 15 children are always in the spotlight. As in today's times, the president of a country lives a life of luxury. It's one of the benefits of the job I guess.
That's all well and good... But Mr President, as these thoughts came to mind, a heavy heart and a lump in my throat was caused by a tiny street kid that walked by. Sniffing on his only bit of hope. Some glue that he somehow managed to hustle. These kids, living in cardboard boxes and never knowing if there'll be another meal just wander around aimlessly. Shunned by society for simply being born into this lifestyle. These innocent children are driven into a life that no being would ever wish for. And after no more can be taken, moments of starvation and desperation force them into a life of crime. Petty at first, but later the stakes increase and when its too late to know any better, murder. And then? Then they become just another one of the statistics. The scum of our country. The most hated part that everyone fears. And thus their lives are a never-ending cycle of pain, sadness and every single thing that is wrong with our world.
Yet shouldn't they have the opportunities and youthfulness of any other child in this beautiful land? Don't they deserve a chance to make something meaningful of their lives? And what makes these children any different from your own children? Aren't we all children of the Earth? Mr President, my eyes swell and my heart aches at this very sight. And I sincerely hope that humanity should make yours too.
Sincerely
Nothing More Than an Observer
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Freedom Day Special
It's been months of agonizing silence on my part, all due to the fact that campus has kept me beyond busy, and in my spare time I may have been preoccupied with extreme laziness. I thought what better way to reinstate my voice than through a Freedom Day special.
In South Africa, we are nothing less of fortunate to be celebrating our 19th year of democracy. (My beautiful country and I are getting old now). Being able to wake up to a life where all that you need to care about is your own livelihood. Yes, we have the terrible crime and other negative factors that we have to deal with but that doesn't take the beauty away from our country.
However, being a born free, I noticed that my generation doesn't always appreciate what we have, because we were handed everything, well the gift of freedom, on a silver platter. We hear and learn about the struggle, but don't realise the immensity of it all. Lives were LOST to allow us to enjoy the equality that we live with.
Celebrating this beautiful day saddens me though, as they are still so many of my brothers and sisters out there that still have to fight, with no guarantee of ever seeing their loved ones again, all for the basic right to be free. Thinking that we're in such an advanced era, where impossible has practically no meaning yet we're still so backward in providing basic necessities. I feel that as humans, we are only as free as our fellow citizens of the earth. In that case, we are pretty much screwed. So my plea is to remember all those living in oppression in your prayers. Even though it isn't much, my heart and soul is always with them. I hope and pray and believe that better days are yet to come. All with the will of the Almighty.
In the words of our father of freedom Mr Nelson Mandela :
"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
We can make the difference :)
In South Africa, we are nothing less of fortunate to be celebrating our 19th year of democracy. (My beautiful country and I are getting old now). Being able to wake up to a life where all that you need to care about is your own livelihood. Yes, we have the terrible crime and other negative factors that we have to deal with but that doesn't take the beauty away from our country.
However, being a born free, I noticed that my generation doesn't always appreciate what we have, because we were handed everything, well the gift of freedom, on a silver platter. We hear and learn about the struggle, but don't realise the immensity of it all. Lives were LOST to allow us to enjoy the equality that we live with.
Celebrating this beautiful day saddens me though, as they are still so many of my brothers and sisters out there that still have to fight, with no guarantee of ever seeing their loved ones again, all for the basic right to be free. Thinking that we're in such an advanced era, where impossible has practically no meaning yet we're still so backward in providing basic necessities. I feel that as humans, we are only as free as our fellow citizens of the earth. In that case, we are pretty much screwed. So my plea is to remember all those living in oppression in your prayers. Even though it isn't much, my heart and soul is always with them. I hope and pray and believe that better days are yet to come. All with the will of the Almighty.
In the words of our father of freedom Mr Nelson Mandela :
"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
We can make the difference :)
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