Letter: Why live like this?

Pavay Valabjee (16) of Ballito asks why our country is in the state it is: We live in a world and society where corruption, crime, violence, discrimination and many more issues freely exist.

On a daily basis, we read about and hear of murders of children, school shootings and domestic violence. We live in constant fear that we could become victims of these events at any moment. We live in constant awareness of our belongings due to the threat of them being stolen.

We live in constant stress that our innocent lives could be taken away from us.

So why does all of this happen? Well, there are many reasons for this behavior such as poverty, hunger, depression and overall inequality.

So, I ask why do all of these issues have to exist? Why can’t we open our hearts for one minute to understand what it’s like to live in poverty or depression and what it’s like to not have an education or a roof over your head or to have no food or water? We are often annoyed and even rude when we see homeless beggars on the roads.

Yet, we do not for one second consider that person’s circumstance. We are too quick to judge and too quick to act. We are too inconsiderate and self-absorbed. We need to become more empathetic towards the underprivileged instead of ignoring them and moving on with our lives. A wise man once told me, “The things that we take for granted, others are praying for”. This made me rethink my journey in life and what I want and what I really need. We need to help out wherever we can.

Some say that one person cannot change the world, but it is the small, generous actions of individuals that are noticed and replicated. We can give back to our communities by means of:

1. Simply funding a child’s education (if school fees are too expensive then you can fund other smaller things that go a long way i.e. books, uniforms, meals and stationery.)

2. You can also provide a meal to the homeless or hungry.

3. Donations to underprivileged schools could assist in providing a better education for all students and a better future with more opportunities available.

4. Try to support local businesses.

5. Parents have a huge role to play in teaching/educating their children with regards to caring, sharing, nondiscrimination and generosity.

To overcome all of these global issues, we need to believe, we need to change and we need to see the light in the darkness.

Do you have the power to change our lives and those of others?

I would like to hear more opinions from young people in particular – Editor