“ Jam Waali. Jam Waali”, (good evening) the young boys call from outside our house each evening. I look out. There are 7 of them, their ages ranging from 5-10. The little ones look shy. The older ones look hopeful as they come looking for food. They call again. I say “Welcome”.
The seven approach with large red tomato paste cans, ready to take anything I will give them. Four of their fourteen feet are padded from the sandy rough soil with flip-flops. The other ten feet walk bare.
I hand them our leftover platter of macaroni with tomato sauce. As they crouch down around the platter smiling, I see that several of them have scalp tinea (ringworm – a fungal infection). They look up and take a jug of water. They chat together about who was given more money that day, how cold it is, who’s the best soccer player, and who will get the blanket that night.
They are called the “Students”. Recruited out of remote villages by Religious teachers in the towns, their parents see this opportunity of sending them away as a way to cut down on family spending, and give their sons a promised religious education. They believe it’s an important part of a young boy’s education to learn to beg, have nothing for himself, and most of all, to fear. One friend of ours explained it this way: “We teach them to fear. If they stay with their mothers and live at home, they will never learn to fear. If they are to be good religious boys, they must learn to be afraid, and only then will they act as they should.”
The reality? They come to the towns, fill their tummies by begging, fill their minds with repetition of words they don’t understand, and are treated like orphans. If they fail to bring home a certain amount of money to their “teacher” each day, they are beaten. They are also often the subjects of abuse of all kinds, as no one is around to defend them.
Recently I have been asking myself how I can live out James 1:27, “True religion is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” True religion…to look after orphans.
I am a stay-at-home mom. I live in Africa, but my whole base of contacts, friends and energies are largely focused here – in my home – in my neighborhood. Over the past few months I’ve gotten to know several “religious teachers” quite well as they run boutiques all around our house. I’ve also gotten to know dozens of these “orphans” as they come to our house each meal to beg.
Last week we started offering them showers and milk, as well as a meal with veggies. I hope soon I can start offering them some basic medical care as well.
I love having my children growing up serving other children and learning to share their toys with outcasts. I love that God is a God who says true religion is to love orphans and how full of compassion He is.
I can’t do much – but the awesome part of it all, is that God says whatever I do for them, I do for Him. Bring it on!
