Through the Eyes of a Child

Have you ever felt as if you were alone? As if the world has turned its back against you? As if your life, your will, your opinions don't matter? Have you ever felt the pain of loneliness... the pain of hopelessness, the pain of helplessness? I know I have at some point... the agony of not having anyone to turn to but yourself. The agony of having to look to only yourself for advice. The agony of coming to an empty house, feeling as if there is noone to turn to? Have you ever felt the loss of a loved one? Have you ever felt the constant fear of losing someone you love? There can be a million people around you but at that point, nothing matters... the pain is yours and yours alone. No matter who attempts to help you the pain cannot be shared, the burden is yours. Because afterall, you are the only one who understands the agony. You are the only one who understands the pain.

I might not know much but anyone and everyone has at least felt one of these pains. I've even had the priviledge of experiencing much of these pains. I've felt the pain of loss, the fear of loss, the agony of loneliness, the fear of insignificance, the fear of helplessness. Make these pains into a single agonizing pain and you would find the agony closest to the pain of an African child. A child who has much to offer this world but has yet to have a chance. A child who cries for a mother who has left this world. A child who cries for a father who has abandoned the unbearable and chosen a similar path to his wife. A family who is raised by a sibling or noone at all. A child left alone to "solve" his problems unattended to. A child who has lost all he finds good in life. A child who has been forsaken by the world. A child without a direction to life, without a hope of survival.

People refer to these grown children to be savages and merciless. People blame these teenagers to be nothing but ruffians. People call these adults warmongers, bloodseekers, barbarians. Yet, can anyone truly be blamed for losing hope in life when the world has seemingly turned its back on you. Can anyone be blamed for having no directions in life because there were none. Can a homeless, orphan child be blamed for looking for some sort of security in the company of druglords and men of power???

These so called "savages" and "barbarians" are present because of the pains of loss, the pains of hopelessness, the pains of loneliness, the pains of helplessness, the pains of emptiness. These children, these teenagers, these adults need guidance, not money. This nation needs guidance. This nation needs security. This nation needs education. Children need to understand that druglords and militias arent the only security offered in this world, teenagers need to understand that men could create opportunities. Men need to overlook the gluttony to find hope in this seemingly abandoned nation... for the sake of a loved one, for the sake of the next generation, for the sake of survival.