Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Goat Children

I have resisted posting this haunting photograph for days. I try to concentrate on things that I can make light of, like snakes, headlice, traffic, etc., but for this photo, there are only four sad stories to tell. These children have been selected to herd goats. For various reasons, usually when their father dies and there is no one to support them, they earn their village 'keep' by herding the community goats all day. Every day. There is no future for these little kids. The goats are cleaner than they are and they would wear shoes - if they had any to wear. Bear in mind that these little kids are in the fields and in the grass along with a number of varieties of venomous snakes. Perhaps the girls will be married off at fifteen or sixteen to a much older distant relative, but their lives will be full of drudgery and darkness. They live just outside the gates of the School Compound and they watch through the gates as the schoolchildren laugh and play.

 Last week, we had a mother bring her little five-year old girl to the school. The mother had packed a suitcase for the little girl and in tears, sobbing actually, told the Principal she was giving her little girl to the school forever because she wanted a better life for her. That happens on a regular basis and the parents are turned away because of lack of room and space. If every child brought to the school that way was accepted, soon there would be dozens of 'orphan' children.

 India, in all of its 'wisdom' has closed the doors to international adoptions in favor of literally hundreds of thousands of orphans and urchins in the cities just wandering the streets or lost forever as untouchable untouchables in the wasteland of India's rural poor and wretched villages. Diane, this is probably the fate that awaited Grace if you had not stepped in and brought her 'home'.

 I'm not writing well tonight. I know I'm not good at telling the real story, but I hope someone will read between the lines and feel as I feel, see what I see, and cry with me for these little kids.
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9 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 17, 2012 at 9:49 AM

    Betty I cry with you for these children...I know that this is the fate that would have awaited Grace had she not come "home". My heart aches too for the mothers who willingly give up their children in order for them to have a better life. It is because of government restrictions that children are abandoned...it is the best way to get children into some type of institution which is better than the life they have..Mothers forced to leave their children in public places where they will be found and taken by authorities to a "better" life...I know those mothers watch from hidden places and weep for the child they must relinguish in order to save...diane

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  2. OttleyJanuary 17, 2012 at 2:32 PM

    Dear Betty we cried with you today as we read this as a class.

    Comments from different students...
    We are adopting a little boy from Uganda. (We have a few stories of international adoptions in our class.)

    Thank you for sharing with us the story of other kids.

    We wish we could give them a better place to be.

    We are going to buy an animal or something through an organization called Heifer International.

    We are very grateful that we get to come to school each day and have Mrs. Ottley teach us so we can have a good life.

    Thank you for your caring and doing something for the children of India.

    We will not take for granted out life her in America.

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  3. RachelJanuary 17, 2012 at 4:03 PM

    I want to send you a giant box of shoes.

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  4. bethanyJanuary 18, 2012 at 6:05 AM

    The little girl on the left, who I presume is the oldest, looks like she has some comprehension of her fate. The cute little smiling children on the right seem too young to understand. Would that they NEVER understand and can keep smiling. The mother and her five year old break my heart. And I am worrying about finding a home for my CAT? Really puts things in perspective. Tnank you for sharing and if there is one little thing any of us can do to help, please let us know.

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  5. chrisJanuary 18, 2012 at 7:05 PM

    Oh that all children could just be children. life is so bleak and hard for way too many children. I' m afraid I would be crying everyday.

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  6. KizzyJanuary 19, 2012 at 6:27 PM

    This is a heartbreaking story, unfortunately it's repeated millions of times all over the world...every day. I want to do something. We can all do something in helping someone's life be better each day. Betty, you are making a difference in India, hopefully, you can help the children you are serving to be aware of their less fortunate peers and spread the kindness in their lives. Thanks for sharing, these stories need to be shared to all people, especially Americans who are caught up in materialism

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  7. KamieJanuary 22, 2012 at 10:06 AM

    This brings back feelings of hopelessness I had in South Africa....poor children.

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  8. Susan WelchJanuary 22, 2012 at 9:58 PM

    What a bitter sweet experience you are having. How can we live in the same world as those who suffer so much?

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  9. pinkhedgehogJanuary 31, 2012 at 12:37 PM

    Some day, those who are low will be made high and the high will be made low. At times, I wish I could save them all, but at least I know we have saved one.

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