A day in the life of.....

What amazes me in the morning when I drive to my gym, is that I see hundreds of people walking on the streets, going to work, going to school or looking for a day job. That is the daily routine of the South Africans.
Hundreds of men and women walking from their township to their job. There are hardly any bikes or cars available for this group of lower educated people. So they walk, and walk and walk, miles to their job. Each morning when the sun comes up it starts already, coming from fields and all sides you can look at, they come and walk. Sometimes when they reach the main street they can take a taxi....more an old mini van where they wait till it is full. Then they stop at another major intersection and they get out. The rest of their trip they have to walk again.

And looking at the women is the most amazing sight. Not only do they carry their baby on the back, but big packages on their heads as well, while they walk for miles. Wrapped in these beautiful clothes with the most bright colors, just great to see.

Then there is another thing that struck a core with me, all the men sitting on the side of the road, with a paintbrush in their hands, or a sign that they are good at construction or some other job. They are day workers and just waiting on the side of the road, hoping that they are offered a job at a construction side or other job. Hard to live your life that way, you don't know if you have some money or a meal that day.

And then of course the happy children, who go to school. All in uniforms, so cute. These children are the more fortunate ones, there are many who can't afford a uniform or go to school.

What you also will see are lots of men at the traffic lights giving out flyers for business's or selling drinks, newspapers and other small items. Well, we are told that it is better not to open your window and buy something from these men. I believe in general they are good people just trying to make a buck, but better to be safe than sorry and keep your window shut.

The saddest sight is a women standing there with her baby on the back asking for a Rand or 2, that breaks my heart, and sometimes I give a few Rand, but am I helping her with that?? I don't know, maybe better to give something to eat...but I don't have that laying around in my car. You never know if they use the money for buying glue to sniff. That is the saddest part of living in South Africa, life can be really tough for a big group of people and it is not easy to be confronted with that every day!

Think about it; how your life can be so different, it all depends where your cradle stood at the moment you were born. Let's try to support an organisation that is close to your heart and help somebody. There are many in need!

Love & Peace to you all!
Mireille