"Had I Been there I Would Have…"
"Had I been there, I would have offered to adopt the twins". That was what went through my mind as I sat and in disbelief listened to an incident that had happened in one of the villages here some years ago.
A woman had given birth to a set of twins. Unfortunately after delivery, she continued to bleed. Most likely it was due to retained placenta tissue. The uncontrolled bleeding ended with the death of the poor woman. She left behind her some newly born twins.
The dead woman was worked up for burial but before burial had taken place, a question about custody of the twins arose. The unexpected happened, no one was willing to adopt the children due to lack of resources to support the twins. This was far away in a rural area. The cost of getting those kids through the neonatal stage alone was beyond affordable limits of a mere village family.
Everyone else around was poor. The solution was unbelievable, but it happened. Bury the twins with their mother. Whether the twins were asphyxiated to death or buried alive, is not clear.
Who Would Allow Such a Thing to Happen?
My ears could not wait to get through the whole ordeal, but a question arose in my mind. Why should people behave that way? That was totally inhuman. Should poverty lead people to behave in such a barbaric manner?
This story took place some decades ago and in a very rural area of this country. There were no institutions for the parentless and no health facilities to take care of some health problems. One could regret the incident and be judgmental as I did that I would not have allowed such a thing to happen if I were around.
However, events and circumstances seem to give every man and woman a turn of being exposed to similar scenarios where one has to decide to do something or "let the kids be buried with their parents." Today in spite health facilities that have shown little improvement and a smell of urbanization not far from a distance horizon, many children are left to die and follow their parents into the grave because of lack of custody, The scourge of H.I.V, joblessness, corruption in higher places, and meager wages are like the jaws of death that are ready to crash to death some helpless infants.
One can adopt some children, but how many can one keep at one’s place? The best would be not to adopt anyone, but won’t that be a similar inhuman act to the one that took place decades ago?
The twins met their fate years ago in an isolated village far away in rural Malawi. Ironically, the plight of thousands and thousands of vulnerable children and orphans seem to be following the same ordeal. The world today is one global village and in this global village some orphans cannot even dream of a future. Life is just a string of burdens and torture.
The Day Begins With the Itching Pain
A typical day of these children starts by waking up from a sleep where they were a prey to a swarm of mosquitoes. Their bodies itch from head to toe. Multiple nodular swellings have appeared all over their bodies. Mosquitoes have bitten them everywhere. There is no defense to prevent the tiny creatures from sucking blood from these helpless bodies.
What is My Sin?
It is daybreak and these poor souls wake up to the question as to whether there will be food or not. While it is a right for children on the other part of the global village to have food, for some children in this part it is not a right, but a privilege. With inadequate clothing to cover them, some of these children are too ashamed to walk around outside. Hungry stomachs, shabby clothing, and a feeble health deny these little ones of the freedom to enjoy the light of day. Their minds are full of regret, if not hatred. "What sin they have committed? Why should they have to live this way? Who will care for them? Who will care about them?"
Who is My Neighbor?
As the sun climbs higher there may not be enough food for the tiny bellies. No toys to stimulate their feeble minds. Thoughts of misery and dejection crowd out any thoughts of joy and ambition. After a long day of pain and dejection and as the sun reclines west and steadily drops towards the horizon, there are more worries than gladness with the coming time of rest. Worries about another night of torture. The mosquitoes, the ticks and lice, all having their turns on the unprotected flesh of these little ones. "Where is the neighborhood? Are there no people to take care of these children? People are there, but they do not have enough resources to support an additional soul?"
The world has become one global village. In this village some parents are dead leaving behind helpless children. What are we going to do for these children? Bury them alive with their parents or take care of them?
By Dr. Smith Chibaka - Sacred Promise Healthcare
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"My Name is Innocent"
