Cries for Africa

The joy of a young boy, running down the street kicking a soccer ball
The elated smile of an innocent girl braiding her friend’s hair
The colour of the market, the chaos of kombis/taxis/matatus
The hustle and bustle in the towns, racing down the streets for the latest deal
The excitement of a new school uniform 
The uncertainty of the power supply as plans are made for gogo’s birthday celebration
The sweet aroma of the onions as they hit the pan, mother is making sadza/pap/ugali/fufu and beef stew tonight
Goats bleat as they dodge oncoming cars, tractors and carts
She grins as daddy brings back a new dress from Ghana 
They jump for joy when mama returns from work to prepare dinner as she sings them a new song
Faces beam with delight as we play in the school yard
The sheer bliss of watching a warm, rich African sunset
Her mind is wide open to the community that surrounds her
He finds quick solutions to the challenges in his home
We cross the gate into adolescence overflowing with ideas
The youth stories are pleasant, they are happy, they give you peace
Until the child is aware of mother being beaten by her step father
And the young daughter, the eldest of five kids, bears the weight of selling tomatoes to make sure her infant & toddler brothers and sisters have at least one meal before bedtime tonight
The teenage boy is forced to labour in the fields 
Families are torn apart to make ends meet
Disease claims the lives of several within the community
The kids we grew up with no longer have parents, siblings, aunts or uncles
The innovation, passion and energy we once possessed has dwindled as our harsh realities changed us
Adulthood settles in with sombre surroundings
Cousin Susan and her one year old baby simply don’t smile as much
Brother David and his wife don’t seem to talk about their childhood dreams anymore, the ones we sat around the tree and spoke about after primary school with our grandpa
Unspoken words of shame and betrayal of yesteryear haunt our footprints
Hidden lies and secrets of cultural wrong doing, spiritual healing
The path of maturity becoming less defined, we live in a jungle
Torn shirts on the backs of our children’s children
The glimmer of hope fades as the reality of poverty sets in
Lack of knowledge
Lack of understanding
Lack of wisdom
We now hide behind our Christian faith
We blame our dismay on government
And simply strive to put more food on me and my own’s table
Little Kelvin’s dreams of innovation and salvation for the next generation
Vanish with his youth
… and so I cry, for Africa

~While truly inspired, I shed a tear for Kelvin {http://sftimes.co/?id=115&src=share_fb_new_115} as I watched the heaviness in his eyes as he talked of helping his family