A Poverty Stricken Paradise - Original Writing :: Papers

A Poverty Stricken Paradise - Original Writing On arrival in a small village called Wamba in Northern Kenya, the first thought that struck me as I stepped out of the Land Rover was the intensity of the midday sun blazing down upon me. As I took in the sights around me, a huge crowd of inquisitive children appeared from their huts and flocked towards the vehicle. So many happy faces in such a deprived village. This image will stay in my mind forever. To experience what life was really like in this small, but highly populated village, I stayed in a basic hotel among the villagers. The hotel was not a five star, luxury hotel, but was simply a bed and an integrated shower and squat toilet. For the villagers this would have been luxurious, as they lived in mud huts using whatever discarded plastic materials they could find to act as a roof. For me, this was like taking a trip back to the Stone Age. Everything was so basic. The most extraordinary view was one child's favourite toy. This was not some computer game, but an old car tyre. The poverty that these people were enduring was overwhelming, yet they were so happy with what little they had. The smiles on their faces were there constantly, even though they may not have eaten for many days due to the continuing drought that was affecting the area. When I asked one woman how she coped with not eating for so long, she replied, "When I feel hungry, I tighten my belt." This was horrific to hear, but for her it was a way of life. Because of the ongoing drought, water was becoming very scarce. To such an extent that their beloved cows and goats, which were their sign of wealth, were starting to die, leaving their owners with no food and no milk to drink. This leaves the people frail, but they are still both physically and mentally strong. The best example that showed this was one small boy, around twelve years old, carrying a