A few weeks ago I let you know about a family I came across at the local garbage dump. Well in the past few weeks quite a bit has happened. Having visited again to understand more of their situation, I learned that the two kids live with their mum and grandma in one of the shacks opposite the dump. The boy Mongol (meaning ‘joy’) has a disability that prevents him from walking. His dad died a year back. So his mum is now a widow, as well as his grandma. The mum also has mental problems, and so the grandma (in her 80's) is trying to look after them… without any income. They’ve been relying on their neighbours at the dump to share a little food and money with them as they’re able.
On one of our earlier visits we suggested that perhaps the kids could go to a nearby Sisters of Charity (Mother Theresa) home for malnourished children for a little while to improve their health. The grandma (and the neighbours who had gathered) thought this a good idea, but when I returned with a couple of Sisters, she changed her mind, saying, “when I die, they will go. What will happen to them then? But for now I will look after them.”
I definitely respect her desire and courage to care for her grandkids as best she can. And I’m not a fan of institutionalised care where it can be avoided. Yet I feel torn. We also learned that the family has already had two boys die, and so we fear for Mongol and his sister Priyanka as well. Malnourishment and a toxic environment are not a good combination. As things are, will their grandmother be the one to die first?
We've been wrestling with how we can best help this family. For now we're visiting every 2 or 3 of days and taking some rice/bananas/milk powder etc. to supplement what the neighbours are giving. We feel okay about this in the short term, but are also feeling the need to be a little cautious about how we use money. We don’t want to be perceived by the community as the white skinned ATMs or Santa Clauses. It could undermine the good the community is already doing to care for their neighbours, as well as setting up precedents and power dynamics that could make it harder to engage with the community in more sustainable and empowering approaches.
What’s happening at the moment is not sustainable. Our next step is to try to get a local NGO on board to help the family access the government provisions they're entitled to. They should have a ration card (for cheap food like rice and lentils) and get a pension (equivalent to $ 8.50 per month). Although small, even this would make a very big difference for them.
And then beyond all that, there is love we can show, and prayer we can offer to a God who cares deeply. Hoping and praying that God’s will be done, and his kingdom come, here at the dump.
