I had a surreal conversation yesterday. Got caught at the same table as a 'Karate mom' with two pre-teens who attend private schools. She's a business professional, as is her husband.The kids have just spent a vacation week on a 'spirituality program' - something the mother says is 'very important' to her.
In the next few sentences though, she expressed her anger. Her domestic worker (been with her for years and years and 'is like a mother to me', quote unquote) had brought (without prior consultation) her one young daughter back to spend a little time in the domestic Kaia on the rich-bitch's property. The rage was all about, 'Does she realise it's another mouth for me to feed?' I looked at her intently, waiting for her to burst out laughing at her own joke. But it wasn't a joke. Here she is, with kids in expensive extramural pursuits, private schools, regular (according to her) overseas holidays, and the food consumption of one little African kid is resented. It beggars belief.
I said to her, 'You're a Hindu woman, aren't you?' Yes. I went on 'In your religion you're taught to feed the stranger because the stranger might be God.' She knew that. I said, 'Then maybe you'd better start looking at things differently.' You're right, she said. Dunno how much of the conversation will stick.
Just for the record, news articles in this last week indicate that more than half of South African children go to bed at night without enough food, or no food at all, in their tummies. What are you doing about it?
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