We happened across a beautiful family today. The father is a farmer and he generously invited us to see his crops and meet his family. Well...we're not sure who all belonged to each other, but they were certainly beautiful.
I broke the touch barrier with this lovely lady and her sweet sweet little girl. A hug, then she held my arm, we smiled, laughed, and I gushed over her babies.
The children love to see themselves on the display screen -- they pose and point to themselves and say "photo". Then come over to look. So cute. I just didn't know how welcoming and trusting this culture would be. Incredible. We felt like we were leaving friends behind after only staying 30 minutes or so. They walked us back to our vehicle, waving and laughing.
Friendliest people in the world. Well, that I've explored so far. :)
They've definitely got something figured out in life, that affects their happiness. I'm thinking it might have something to do with family togetherness.
So -- the farmer has coffee trees and also grows a stimulant narcotic called "chat". It brings in more income than coffee, so many farmers are ripping out their coffee fields, replacing them with chat.
And regardless of the worthiness of said crops, the family benefits from having an income. They have food for their children. They have water. Their kids go to school. They seem healthy.
So -- we look at these children and then remember those in Megaladi...who don't have enough food or water and are struggling to stay healthy. It will be insightful to return to Megaladi day after tomorrow to visit with these people more -- see inside their homes, ask them questions about their lives, find out really concrete ways we can help them get on the path toward self-sustainability soon.
