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FORTUNE By: Crystal Bjorge
Many people say that Canadians are very fortunate. By fortune I mean that we have money, opportunities, good education, and a safe country to live in. But fortune is more than something to work toward. Fortune is a reward of selfless living and hard work; not the kind of work that is done to earn money.
The average family income (annually) after taxes is $74,600, but there are always those who make double that amount. The average world income (annually) is only $8000. The reason the world average income is $8000 is because a few people in the world make millions of dollars a year, which balances out the millions of people who make just enough to survive. The national gross income in Kenya is a mere $315 a year, which in some cases supports families of 4 or 5. Is there more to the definition of fortune than money? How many times do people think about how lucky they are to have lots of food and water? I think that everybody needs to experience something that allows them to properly grasp the reality of our wealth. I have had the privilege of observing situations which poverty played a huge part. My family travelled to Kenya, Africa for a vacation during the winter of 2007 – 2008. There we witnessed some of the poorest areas in the world. Going to Africa has opened my eyes and helped me fully understand how fortunate we really are.
I’ve been told many times before how lucky we are to have money to buy everything we need. My mom doesn’t like it when I complain about being “so hungry I could starve”. She says that I shouldn’t be complaining about being hungry right before lunch because there are millions of children who are hungry all day, every day. But it has gone in one ear and out the other; I merely nodded in agreement without really thinking about it. Previously, to me, our fortune is a right. It is given to everyone. But as I have grown up, I am beginning to understand that fortune is not a right. Most people don’t take it into consideration that there are millions of people who go without basic needs or luxuries every day.
One Sunday, while we were walking to a remote church in the hills of the African country, we bypassed some local children. The children were contently playing with a soccer ball, which looked like a piece of hard plastic filled with air and covered with a thin layer of cloth. At first, they were just a couple of little kids playing with a ball, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that these kids had accomplished something that takes us into adolescence to achieve. These children, aged 3-6, had already learned to be content with what they had, and make the most of it. There wasn’t any whining or complaining about not having this toy or that toy, but were smiles that went from ear to ear and the kind of laughter that only comes from the happiest of children. The idea of a three year old doing something that I couldn’t till the age of 15 astounds me! It is hard for me to understand how a simple soccer ball can satisfy the desire of a three year old. It exemplifies the lack of finances in the area because the family can only afford a simple soccer ball for their children to play with.
The town that we spent most of our vacation in was the poorest town I have ever seen. Kapsowar was a one street town. Dirt road, tin roofed buildings, and one lonely petrol station made up this remote town. The businesses there were barley surviving, and making the most of their lacking technology and funds. The tailor shop was a shamble of boards that looked like it would collapse at a whistle of the wind. The condition of the building wasn’t the only indication of the lack of money and technology. The sewing machine used was an old-fashioned foot pump machine. Undeveloped technology and the need for funds have greatly affected the efficiency of this business. Although they struggle to stay productive, they make the most of what they have. The only restaurant they had was equipped with an open fire as the stove, and a partially plastic covered addition as the kitchen. Again, the Kenyans do what they can with the resources that they possess.
Reluctant of the state of the town, the people in it were just as lively and energetic as anyone else. When you were invited into their home, they served you a meal with a smile. They gave you the best they had; even if that meant sacrificing their own meal for the day. Their generosity regardless of their poverty made me feel like not eating their food because I knew that they were giving up their only meal of the day to serve the tourists from Canada.
I think their generosity, contentment, and high spirits are worth more than their money or wealth. You could have all the money in the world and be the nastiest person anyone could imagine. I think that excessive amounts of money make people rude, arrogant, and self centered. Canadians may be wealthy with money, but is it better to have money or be a respected person? The trip to Africa has helped me understand completely that fortune is more than inked paper, and that it is not a right. You have to earn it.
