At about 4:30 today a work we watched a movie called “Precious”. This movie gives a very vivid and real portrayal of different disparities that one girl had growing up in Harlem. I would not suggest watching this movie if you are not mentally prepared to deal with the shocking experiences the main character goes through. Including rape, HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, a mother’s physical and mental abuse and growing up in a family that lives off of abuse of the welfare system.
This movie truly shows how a person can take every unfortunate experience/relationship and strive to make a better life for herself and her children. As some of you may know I am a firm believer in one’s ability to not become a product of their environment. This movie reinforced that for me and is giving me added excitement about this project called “Girlz got SKillz” that I am working on. I only hope that I can pass some of this passion and hope that I share to the participants.
One of the things that was so interesting about watching this movie here in Africa, is that I kind of forget how bad some people’s situations are in the US. Sometimes I feel like people here put me on a pedestal because I am from the US and think that is a place with no problems/no disparities. I am not trying say that life in the US compares at all to life in the townships or in the more impoverished area’s but that sometimes I forget about the people in my home country that experience so many awful things. Or how many (including myself) are sometimes so oblivious to the disparities of other around and sometimes we fail to realize how in need people in our own communities are.
Another really enriching part of this movie was how it showed that sometimes what makes people turn their lives around is one person taking the time to care about them. For me and my experience in Africa or working on the refugee project back in Knoxville I’ve learned that sometimes it is about the simple things you do in life. More often than not little things like taking an elderly person to the grocery store, saying hello and really asking someone how there day is, or taking the time to make someone feel special, is what can make the most difference. I have found that it is not always about the “flashy” projects or the large events, but sometimes just making a conscious effort to be supportive of the people around you, that is what can make the most difference.
It was like the pastor of my church here in Cape Town said, if you can take the time to touch two peoples lives a week, think of all the good that could be done. These small acts of kindness could have a ripple effect, where the people you have affected then start touching people in their lives. I think sometimes we all need to be reminded of that. Additionally, you don’t have move to Africa to try and make a difference (I am so grateful for my experience here), but that there are things that can be done in our own communities; even if it is small.
One thing that I did while working at 21st Mortgage was become a tutor once a week for a school in one of the lower income areas of Knoxville. I met once a week for an hour with a student that the school recognized could use more support. The girl I was partnered with had a mother who was bed ridden with cancer and ended up passing away during that year and a father who was working on achieving his PHD. Sometimes I would get so frustrated hearing that she missed school because she did not have a ride or how she felt so alone all of the time. But then I met her father at her graduation and he said that he struggeled with how to raise her. He said, "I don't know anything about 11 year old girls." I realized how hard it was for him and the struggles that he faced.
It was so amazing to see what just spending one hour a week with this child made a difference in her life to the point that when her mom died she wanted to call me and talk with me about it. To me I think that the person that volunteers there time gets just as much out of it as the person they are helping. I have heard similar stories from my friend Whitney or Staci on the kids that they worked with. This is just a prime example of how taking a little extra time can make a huge difference in someone's life.
This movie just really affected me today and I wanted to share some of it with you.
With Love,
Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment