An unexpected reminder
Blood Diamond recalls tragedy in Africa
January 23, 2007
Todd Foley
Over the holiday season, I wanted to catch an evening showing of Casino Royale, but my cousin had the deciding word. Instead, we saw Blood Diamond, a graphic look at one of many social tragedies in Africa. The film was moving, but what had the greater impact was how it reminded me of personal memories of the continent.
In February, 2003, I went on an 18-day missions trip to Malawi, one of the world’s highest AIDS-infected countries. We worked with orphans in various locations. The reality of poverty and loss struck me in Chimbalame, a village outside of the capital city.
The village, at that time, had a population of 8 000 residents; 7 000 were children enrolled in the village’s only public elementary school. Each teacher would have approximately 400 students in their classroom, limiting the quality of education. Yet the faces peeking through windows of crumbling mud huts possessed an expression of what I could only define as genuine joy. This joy made it difficult for me to imagine what they had gone through.
Two children from another village who captivated my heart were siblings Zione and Sandram who lost their parents to AIDS. The orphans were sent to live with their uncle. Unable to feed all of the children in his household, he chained Sandram to a tree, leaving him unable to eat. Four-year old Zione stashed food in her pockets and smuggled it to her brother at risk of being caught and beaten. Sandram survived because of his sister’s actions. Zione and Sandram were later rescued by social services and brought to an orphanage ran by Children of the Nations, a non-governmental organization.
When I returned home, I believed I would never forget Zione and Sandram or others with similar stories. While this has not always been the case and the memories have faded from time to time, Blood Diamond served as a reminder of the tragedies and injustices that occur every day, as well as the personal stories I had forgotten.
Now you go...
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