The Stuff I Learned at Kondwa

Kids are so damn brilliant. They really do have it all figured out, before society gets everyone all confused. I think your perspective on the world peaks with maximum clarity at the age of seven, and its all downhill from there. Three weeks at the Kondwa Centre did the impossible and uncovered my deeply embedded maternal instinct, one that I was afraid i simply didnt have.

The Kondwa Centre is a day centre for orphans and vulnerables aged 4 to 9 in the N'Gombe compound on the outskirts of Lusaka. The children are fed 2 meals per day (meals they otherwise wouldn't get), and are taught at the preschool/ kindergarden level. Its community- based, meaning that funding isn't consistent, but comes in spurts from Zambian and foreign donors alike. The person who keeps it all alive, is a woman whos actions speak for themselves, one of those people whos existence gives hope to the fate of the world, Mrs. Angela Malick.

The one thing that struck me the most about the centre was the unrelenting dedication of the staff. The two housemothers somehow mange to cook two meals a day for over 100, not to mention maintaing order, nursing the sick ones, cleaning up after everyone and tending to random visitors with Giardia. (Meg and I were both down with Giardia at one point).Theyre not paid, they recieve small stipends when theres money. And I must mention that theyre incredibly fun people to be around.

I was struck with a deep and intense admiration for these people, and in true form, did some lengthy pondering as to what it was about their actions that I admired so much. I have come to the conclusion that it is related to the fact that their motivations in life are so directly connected to the world - it leaves them so happy, so fulfilled, glowing.

I think that this is how you truly begin to develop your human potential, when you ground your actions in something closely related to life and existence. You see, one of the main problems with humanity is that we have been evolving a heigtened conciousness, for over 200 million years. So we have all this intelligence geared towards survival - intelligence that is no longer utilized in developed societies. So we create these detached dramas - cultures that center around concepts that have very little to do with real life and love and survival. We consume.

Recently, a good friend changed the way that I thought about the world by proposing the seemingly preposterous notion that 'there is no problem with the way the world is'.
I have come to agree.
The world just is. It is a system, a rhythm, a dance. By your very existence, you are an actively contributing part of it. Whether you leave behind a well trained puppy or a UN Security Council Reform, your actions are your worth, your contributions your legacy.

In a world where every action results in an equal and opposite reaction, you are what you do.
I dont think a humanitarian is any more virtuous or noble than the next guy, and I hate the term 'humanitarian' because it seems to imply that. If they should be respected for any reason, it should be because they took the time to find their role in the world- the role of the vigilant- and do what they find fulfilling.

If mass violations of human rights really bother you, they bother you for a reason - you owe it to yourself to figure out your thoughts and act accordingly. Get to know yourself. Why do this instead of watching the O.C.? Because Marisa will only make you feel fat and Ryan really isnt that hot. That and it makes your life fuller.

An efficient, less tangential summary of what Im trying to say:
"Do not ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. What the world needs is more people who have come alive."- Harry Whitman

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