Extreme Poverty

Homelessness and poverty exist in every major city in the world. Yet- somehow, Atlanta’s unhoused population while heartbreaking doesn’t paralyse me as much as the panhandlers I see in Accra, or in Kampala. (Can’t remember seeing any in Cape Town- rich whites have hijacked the African city- a separate , equally abhorrent problem…)

I long thought about this. I didn’t understand why. I have now concluded it must be the MAGNITUDE of extreme poverty in Africa. I have never seen for example, anywhere outside of Africa, an elder walking barefoot because they can’t afford shoes. OR heard of children dying of literal malnutrition, anywhere outside of Africa. Though I have to remind myself; there is no hierarchy to pain. The mental health crisis that heavily contributes to homelessness in America is equally catastrophic.

We can blame governments, we can blame the 1%, we can blame race, we can even blame Eve for giving Adam the forbidden fruit (turns out the Bible doesn’t explicitly say apple- there goes Christians’ apple logo conspiracies…) leading to God cursing them. BUT we must be careful to NEVER blame the affected persons and not only share what we have, teach our children to share. Step 1 to changing the world: Don’t raise selfish humans! Another reason I haven’t yet had kids because how TF does one teach compassion?! Let me know if you know and I’ll go procreate TONIGHT! XOXO