“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” - Edmund Burke
This little girl is an abandoned orphan
in the Southern African nation of Lesotho.
So many children are abandoned in Lesotho each year as the parents see no hope for their children amongst the current socio-economic situation in the country. This leads me to question: ‘How can we as a people allow this to happen. I was out there recently and held a five year old orphan called Maggie. Maggie was raped repeatedly by her father when she was two and then, because her mother had already died of AIDS, she was placed by the state in a dilapidated orphanage (sharing a tiny house with 17 others) on the outskirts of the capital city (Maseru).
It is all too easy to suggest that what happens to children in Africa is no fault of ours but this excuse is null and void. Remember those words of wisdom: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” The question is - if more funds found their way to Lesotho and the state of the nation improved for the average people on the street would as many children be abandoned. After all it is well known in Lesotho that many abandon their sons and daughters because of the better life they could have in an orphanage. Remember a small dilapidated house for 18 children IS a better life.
What does this situation say about us as a people. Jesus told us to treat others as we would like to be treated, to love each other as He loves us, and of course the 8th commandment tells us not to steal yet our worlds resources find their way to our tables while others starve. I’m not telling people what to do, I’m as much to blame as anyone else but when I watched the torrential rain from the car window this morning I couldn’t help but feel shame. We have so much water we don’t know what to do with it while the people of Lesotho have 6 month gaps between rainy days. The worst part is that this is representative of so much more.
These words are nothing more than ramblings of a frustrated and guilt ridden Christian. One thing though, however we act, I do hope all we Christians share that sense of guilt.
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 and is filed under Love Thy Neighbour.
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