When they have to grow up faster than they should...

He leaves Chatsworth for Masvingo at the crack of dawn headed for Masvingo. With him is a huge of heap of firewood. His grandmother has instructed him to come back with mealie meal albeit she has not given him the money to purchase the mealie meal. This means he has to make sure he sells the firewood.

This is not the first time I have seen him, I have seen him often; selling firewood, wild fruits or mushrooms. I am glad he is not simply a beggar; he is trying to make an honest living. Whatever nature provides he sells. I ask him where his parents are, he explains that his mother is late and his father went to South Africa and never came back. I ask him if he goes to school. He answers, yes, but today he had to abscond because there was no more food at home.

He is only 10 years old and he has to shoulder the burden of ensuring that there is enough food on table. That’s not right. What’s right at his age is learning, playing, doing small household chores and knowing beyond doubt that he will have a meal in the evening. At such a tender age the path of his fate has already been laid before him and there is little he can do to divert from this path and pursue a brighter one.

I am of the opinion that every child should be given an opportunity, a chance, a door. It should be them who decide whether to mess it up or build them up. 

Today in 2013, how far or near are we from:

 1. Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger

2. Achieving universal primary education

Two of the 8 Millennium Developmental Goals were launched in 2000.

It’s already dark and I ask him if he will still travel to Chatsworth, 40km from Masvingo, he says he can’t go back because a customer bought the firewood on credit and has promised to settle the bill in the morning. Tomorrow when he receives the payment he will buy the mealie meal and make his way home. I ask him where he will sleep. He tells me there is an old abandoned house where a number of street children sleep, he will put up there tonight. I ask him how much the mealie meal costs. I hand him the money and walk away with a heavy heart.

I haven’t done much; I have just given him $7 to buy 10kgs of mealie meal. That may change his circumstances for a day but it does little to improve his situation.