Ignorance

This evening I had a really unique opportunity when an educator whom I work with came to the office. She brought with her a young man who was a former child soldier in Sierra Leone. Two co-workers and I went out for dinner with them; one of the co-workers being one our of speakers who was also a child soldier earlier in his life.

We sat in the restaurant for several hours, and the conversation could have continued longer. It was fascinating listening to this young man speak about his views on life and humanity, and just as wonderful seeing the educator interact with this boy as if he were her son. She had been supporting him for 9 years and today, finally, he was able to come to Canada to meet her classroom of grade 6 students, who had bonded so much with his story and photos over the years that they considered him a brother.

They told us about one question that a 12 year old girl asked him; If people know that war is bad, why does it continue?

He shared what he told this little girl, and what he believes to be the answer, and it rang very true to me. War continues because of ignorance, he said. Some people consider poverty or war or child soldiers or violence to be the biggest problems in the world. He considers ignorance to be the biggest issue, because all of these things stem from it.

There is a saying that "ignorance is bliss". I hate when people say this. Perhaps ignorance is comfort. Perhaps it is easier, in some ways, not to know about stories like I heard today, where kids are forced to take drugs and kill at the age of 5. Perhaps it makes it easier on us when we obsess about the coolest phone and the newest fad. But that doesn't mean it is bliss.

Bliss today was speaking with that teacher and watching her eyes tear up as she spoke about her students' reaction to hearing this man's story. When they graduate elementary school, high school, college, and go on to have families of their own, they won't remember the math equation their learned, or the english assignment they wrote. Without a doubt, they will remember today.

They will remember hearing this young man's story, and they will remember his answer about war and ignorance.

They will remember the day when they left their ignorance behind and child soldiers became something very real to them.

They will remember the day they decided to do something about it.

World Cup in Thailand

Isn't it funny how a sound or a scent or a feeling can evoke such strong memories?

I heard K'naan's World Cup 2010 version of Wavin' Flag today and it brought me right back to Thailand this past summer.

Chris and I were in Thailand during the World Cup (the championship game was after we got home though). Hearing that song brings me right back to a crowded Thai street in Chiang Mai. Bar after bar and restaurant after restaurant line the street, each blasting this song and playing the soccer game from a TV in the center of the tables. In the middle of the sidewalk, in between a 7-11 and a bank, men have pulled up broken plastic chairs around a tiny and crackling TV. A few Dutch tourists have paused with them to watch the game, and Thai and tourist alike are brought together through the common bond of soccer.

A few days later, we were picked up by a friend, Justin, who works at The Volunteers For Childrens Development Foundation. During our day volunteering with the organization, my highlight is easy to pick out; playing soccer with his boys. Justin's organization takes in children (many of whom are Burmese) who have been trafficked or abused or come from the streets. We drove into the country where the Children's Home is, and the boys of the home, between ages 12 and 17, were excited to show us their soccer skills. For over an hour under the hot sun, Chris played an intense game of soccer with the boys, and I kicked a ball on the sidelines with Sum-Chai, who was crippled by a birth defect and found it difficult to keep up with the others. We were hot and sweaty and my sandled foot was getting blistered from kicking the ball for so long, but Justin told me how the boys play soccer together daily, and it is a tool ("sport therapy") that helps them deal with their difficult emotions from trauma they have suffered, and to come together as brothers and as a team.

When I hear the World Cup song, I don't only think of the countries that were brought together through the love of soccer. I think of kids like those that I met at VCDF that day, who had seen such horrors, but who found passion and therapy through the game of soccer.

Age 10 and Divorced

Women's rights have always fascinated me, and particularly after having a few experiences in India where I saw the way females are discriminated against, I have had a greater interest in this issue. I picked up the book I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced and read it quite quickly. It was a short, quick read but every page holds valuable descriptions and stories.

Nujood grew up in Yemen and was never allowed to go to school. Illiterate and poor, her parents married her off when she was only ten years old. Her husband promised them that he would not touch her until she reached puberty, but from her wedding day, she was raped and beaten every night. At ten years old she went to court, something that a young girl in Yemen had never done, and became the youngest divorcee in the world.

I would highly recommend this book to all teenage girls and women. It doesn't just tell Nujood's story, but it goes into detail about the complex issues that caused her to become a child bride. It does more than tell her story; it recognizes the issues that need to be changed so we can prevent it in the future.

52% of girls in Yemen marry before they are 18, and many of these girls have not yet reached puberty. How can you help? The Girls World Communication Center recently launched a new program that helps girls who have been forced to leave school and those who are young victims of early marriage to continue their educations. It was the first langauge center in Yemen catering exclusively to girls. Contact gwcc@yldf.org or go to the website at www.yldf.org In the book it also says that Oxfam is doing great work in the country.


Nujood was named a Woman Of The Year by Glamour. Read the article HERE.