Cleaning to do....

Every other day a 12 to 13 year old boy walks in, mostly alone, but sometimes accompanied by his younger brother, who is about 7 -8, visiting many of the families in our campus, taking orders for chicken. He is our chicken supplier! He was walking in and my first reaction was – how can this boy, who is less than 14 be doing the work of an adult. My last few years of experience with “right based responses”, “advocacy” on “Child labour” and such related issues, which I had opportunity to be part of  was rekindled and I was asking around – how can we allow this to happen! How can we even allow this boy to come into the campus? We should put an end to this!

Till 2 days back when I took a walk outside the campus and saw his “shop”. His shop was – a trolley (Tela Gadi) on which a middle aged man was cleaning and cutting chicken. And he and his brother, was the home delivery system. Possibly the person who was cutting and cleaning was his father – I am yet to talk to him. And for him to leave his shop and go to do home promotion and delivery means, leaving his shop without any supervision. And leaving the shop to these young boys, in not a wise thing in a crowded road with a few other Tela Gadi’s doing the same business next to them! They also have to compete with others in the same business, the other vendors nearby. The only way to do this was, have a “promotion” and “home delivery “system. What is better than having their own family members as the promotion and home delivery agents? They will not run off with the produce, the money, or the business. You can trust your own kids to be supportive of the family business. But these kids come in, only in the morning hours and evenings. I am yet to ask them, what do they do during day time – I suppose they are in school, which is common here for many families. Children go off to school during day time, mornings and evenings they are part of the family business, working together as family to meet their daily living.

What did I learn from this incident?

Every person I see, has a background behind them. I need to see beyond what I see.

Every action which I observe, has a story behind it. I need to listen beyond what I hear.

Incarnation is what our master modelled – be in the world and engage with the world. I need to engage beyond my comfort zones.

See others world through their eyes, instead of my eyes and spectacles, which is dirtied by my preconceived notions and perceptions. 

Clean my eyes and spectacles daily….