On September 8th, we helped another non-profit (Serving His Children) dish up 850 meals for kids. We served massive amounts of rice, beans and bananas. These meals are served on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. The rice and beans are constant while the fruit selection varies.
This was definitely a highlight of the trip.
Eating. It's an immediate and frequent need for all of us. Many Ugandans don't have the resources to buy food, so they rely on organizations serving it for free. If these meals aren't served, the kids aren't eating.
Can I hear it for pressure? If you are an organization serving food to those in need - how could you ever shut your doors?
While I loved helping serve meals, there is a big "BUT."
I kept looking over the massive line of kids and thinking about one fundamental issue - OVERPOPULATION. Too many peeps.
Then I thought about all sorts of population related concerns...
- What creates such a massive demand for food each day?
- Why isn't there enough food to go around?
- What dilutes the job market?
- What leads to noise, chaos and confusion?
- What leads to water scarcity?
I don't see Uganda making any real strides until people step up and limit kid making. Seriously. I just cant' see it.
And before we get too smug in North America - we aren't far behind Uganda.
We are pumping out too many kids as well. We need to remind ourselves that planet earth is finite. We can only hold and support so many people.
Not too excited about using a contraceptive? See here.
You'll find me in the contraceptive aisle....
Oh - if you want a pic from last Saturday - see Kate's blog. Since I'm working from internet cafes - my pic posting is limited.
I am sure a few decades ago when someone predicated the population would double, everyone said we could never handle it. The fact is given the right circumstances (less civil unrest, greed, corruption, etc.) there might be enough. One reason low income countries produce more children to overcome the high infant mortality rate and to insure children who will care for them in old age. The saying, one thing leads to another, is applicable in this case. The cause and effect, the chicken and the egg, may be a paradox difficult to unravel. In the mean time, we do the right thing, and reach out to neighbor, stranger and hope to elevate suffering for another day...God Bless
ReplyDeleteRyan,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say how much I enjoy keeping up with your blog. I really liked this post; it’s something I’ve felt for a very, very long time, but it’s not endorsed widely in any culture, so talking about overpopulation doesn’t fit into many casual conversations. Our planet is already gravely threatened with overdevelopment and overpopulation…sure, we can “handle it”, but at what cost? We’ve already begun to see some of irreversible consequences, like habitat destruction and species extinction. I often wonder how much we will compromise before radical change seems necessary to the majority. Perhaps never, but I remain hopeful. The older I get, the more adverse reaction I hear when I tell people I don’t really want to have kids. It’s definitely not a popular choice, but it makes sense on so many levels. I think there are many young, childless, adults who probably recognize this, but there is still heavy social pressure to reproduce, especially in countries where education is minimal. Keep writing and posting – there are likely many people who share your feelings on this issue.
Janna (PN)