One Jar of Love to Go Please

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One Jar of Love to Go Please
Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, West Africa
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Andy of HoboTraveler.com

Take away if your British

I take photos of street children.
- I have not seen any in Africa.
I would take photos of AIDS.
- I have never seen a person in Africa with AIDS.
I take photos of crazy people.
- I see crazy people in Africa.

Skin disease or skin problems.

I took this photo in the market of Po; again, I am having Betazoid Empath problems. What does it feel like to be a baby and not have the power to fight back?

I believe this will causes scars, if and when the mother or baby solves the problem. This is maybe the first child I have seen with this problem. I see many adults, those crazy folks walking around in West Africa with this problem or laying along side the road. I do not know why, I am sure they were all babies, before they became adults.

I had a confusing conversation with Tito from the NGO or something here in Bobo last night. He has been in Africa now for 10 months; this is about 9 months longer than the average volunteer. The Peace Corps workers are interesting to talk with after they have been in-country for two years, their perspectives change.

The confusing conversation was somewhere adrift and floating around the idea of will Africa ever stop having problems. We was sitting in this open-air restaurant along side a major road, eating beef filets and admiring the local women, more or less a life of luxury. There was a group of about 20 children passing us all carrying small buckets. They children were being sent into the city to beg for 200 CFA. This is their nightly quota; it was about 9:00 PM as they walked to the central city.

I am 100 percent sure these problems are not mine, I know 100 percent sure I am not responsible for them. I have had advance anti-dysfunctional behavior training as a recovering alcoholic. People save themselves; the decision to stop having problems is a personal decision.

The conversation is about caring, who cares, I am worried, and in our confusing conversation. I am worried, I am not sure Africa cares what happens to the children of Africa. I am 100 percent sure this is an African problem, that will be solved hopefully one day by Africans. I have had the advance training; I know a person has to save himself or herself.

You could send a billion dollars here to solve this problem and I personally do not believe it would solve this problem. I am tempted, think a lot about this, I am tempted to walk up and give the women 10 dollars to buy skin medicine, I would give 50, and I would give whatever is needed. I do believe or trust that the mother cares about the baby, and I could trust here to take the money to go buy medicine. I could buy the medicine and give to the mother…. This goes on and on, the what if questions and ideas never end… Blah blah blah.

The mother allowed the baby to develop this problem and it continues because she does not care. I have no idea how to buy love and put it in a person.

One Jar of Love to Go Please

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Reader Submitted Comments | Deleted Comments (0)

Ann (MobayDP) said on Thursday September 13th, 2007 09:41:00 PM

You would be amazed at how fast these kinds of skin problems spread and then become ridiculously difficult to treat. It is indeed a pity that the baby suffers in the process. Cultures are interesting things though. The conversation with this baby's mother might have been an interesting one.Is it that she wants the child to remain in this state so that she can use the child's illness as a means of earning money (alms)? Is it that she is trying to treat the child with bush medicine? Is it that she doesn't have the money to do anything for the child? It would be an interesting conversation because the child looks otherwise very healthy. So what did you do to help to solve this particular problem? Or did you just take the photo and walk away? BTW : I'm sure you pass Africans everyday who have AIDS. The face of AIDS is changing my friend.

Anonymous said on Friday January 30th, 2009 01:55:00 PM

This is heartbreaking in so many ways. Not just to see this one child, but to know that this happens all over the world. The children are always the ones who suffer the most. My heart has grown more tender to this since the birth of my own daughter. There are too many problems and I agree, we create them, and we have to be the ones to stop it.

ajunay said on Thursday October 8th, 2009 12:01:12 PM

thats rude why would yhu xall the baby crazy are yhu crazzy idiot...