All of us have diverse(if not different) understanding of poverty. Some believe poverty is 'godly way' of shaping up the human race - that God teaches us through suffering. Others know it as a problem of parentage - you are born poor so you remain poor. Still others know it as a theory of man to advance his goals - you call others poor to win them to your side,hence exploit them. And another group blames geography of its motherland for the spread of poverty.
But I think poverty is both a manifestation of a failed system and a complete withdrawal of a people in their ways of living. Let me explain. Some streets of Rabat(Morocco) are known for the presence of beggars from Sub-Saharan Africa. The confidence displayed by these chaps is unrivaled. They have perfected the art of begging. Maybe this can be explained by the fact that they risk sleeping hungry if they don't go out begging. But again this leaves one with the question, why should one come and endure suffering in another man's land and leave the comfort of his home country?
To respond to that, lets get some wisdom from our ancient african stories. It is a story of Mr Hyena. Long time ago, there was an animal Kingdom. The animals lived in communities bonded by shared interests and visions. Life was good and all animals lived well and happily. But one time things changed. An event that defined the wisdom and wit of all meat-eating animals happened. There was a shortage of meat and animals had to trek to neighbouring kingdoms to fetch this precious commodity. Strong and focused animals survived but those that were lazy suffered and depended entirely on the remains left by the focused ones.
Mr Hyena fell into this category of animals. At one time, he was nicknamed Mr Simple because he need not tire himself to get what he wanted. He would always be on the look out in order to benefit from the sweat and efforts of others. So one day the strong animals got tired of this and denied him any help. Now faced with challenges Mr Hyena decided to trek to neighbouring Kingdoms to look for the meat himself. But he lacked the knowledge of the exact location where the meat was sold. He also didn't know the techniques to employ to charm the meat sellers. All these played to his disadvantage.....
Back to our subject...It is foolhardy to blame others for our wrongs. Poverty is a manifestation of man's failures. It is a result of self-inflicted impotency. It is a fruit of the tree of despair and over-dependence on others. It is a product of man's social craftsmanship. This is what has led so many blacks to internalise the feeling that poverty is african and hence can be remedied by begging. Stop it! That is a fallacy of the highest degree.
These chaps begging in Rabat are intelligent,energetic and strong. Their looks express hope but their thinking is the poisonous venom that is sinking them into the abyss of poverty and hopelessness. How I wish they understood the value of dying poor at home than having a full stomach by begging in a foreign land. Ooh God, help your people see the Light!
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