A GAP TO REMEMBER... BY HASSAN MAWJI
14 June 2009 16:35
The much awaited point in my gap-year had finally arrived, it was time to embark upon my journey to foreign lands. I rattled my mind thinking of a few potential travel destinations. ‘Africa’ started ringing in my mind. Perhaps fate had its own sound-frequency.
It was settled. Tanzania was my destination......
But what should I do while I’m in Tanzania? What can I, a gap-year student do to tackle some global problems? I thought to myself.
And it dawned on me. I was certain. My aim, my objective. It was clear, just like a crystal with the suns radiance striking it.
I’ve always had a close affinity with helping the under-privileged in poorer parts of the world. Although I knew the disparity between the rich and poor couldn’t be eradicated within an instant, one encouraging phrase that often springs to mind is ‘You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?’- Rumi.
We braced ourselves for a bumpy ride, as we had a glimpse of the rough roads ahead of us. And the seat-belts were fastened. The area was deserted with one landmark, so common in such a land, the national stadium. So we arrived.
The field was miles away from my imagination, being surrounded by the green trees, desolate buildings, almost like a dream. But it was real. I took a breath, a deep breath, and made my return to consciousness. Hoping that someday the feeling will re-visit. I questioned myself, what was in the air that had made this feeling so sensational, and I opened my eyes, to witness the group of children, incalculable in number.
So there we were, myself and my twin, in a village so foreign to us. Amidst all the fear that had mounted within me of the reported increase in crime rate all over Tanzania (which I’m guessing is a repercussion of the world ‘recession’), we had this amazing, yet perplexing sense of security while on the field. And although it was just the two of us, and it would have been justified for us to be extra cautious, we felt safer amidst strangers who live on the poverty line than in the town’s own city centre. Baffling.
The supervisors introduced us to the crowd as charity workers from the UK. I was worried this might cause a divide between us, because too often we’re seen as short term gift dispensers, who alienate ourselves as soon as we’re on our flight back home. Much to my satisfaction, the crowd’s mood proved otherwise.
One of the first tasks we conducted was career guidance and counselling. This proved to be much more challenging than we had imagined, primarily because our ability to speak the local dialect wasn’t great. However, after a few minutes of struggling to get the right words, our conversations began to flow. I was taken by surprise when I found out this was the first opportunity most the students had to address their concerns to people who were willing to listen. And as I listened to each student intently, like intuitions, God sent words of advice to impart. They were smiling, as though my works appreciated. Although, wasn’t I merely a listener?
Each problem struck me with increasing intensity, and as they compounded within my mind, I was certain that I must do something. My life had just taken a different turn, gratitude was instilled within my being. Although the sun was striking, I didn’t feel hot. It was surreal.
Was it me, or were their problems unimaginable? Living life on less than a pound a day seemed hard enough, I thought to myself. But there was more, every meal was an additional struggle.
With such determination to be educated and make their way past the ninth year of school, in an impulse, I felt this conviction, to help them facilitate this goal.
As the clocks continued their routine, we noticed our time was nearing completion. How devastating it was to leave a dream-like place.
I was early one day. While I waited for everyone to slowly appear, my eyes were arrested to the obvious beauty of my surroundings, It’s stillness, yet aliveness. The sun was striking, how great it was to see it consistently sunny. The few people around me seemed contented, living life’s course. The common tendency in African culture is not to worry about their next day’s earnings, and that God’s providence would never cease. I was fascinated by their enviable faith and certainty.
Football is what defines life in Africa. Whether you’re best friends or enemies, once you’re on the football pitch, you become one irrespective of your differences.
When you begin to evaluate the roots of these critical issues, you try to think of solutions.
So I pose the question to myself and to everyone, what can we do to alleviate poverty? Maybe we could send a child to school or even a book collection drive. Perhaps a fundraiser.
My trip was merely a foundation. A beginning of something more substantial. God-willing.
For Allah loves those who spend in his way. When you have little and yet spend in His way, he loves it more.
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