Arriving early in the morning for a distribution, children always run to meet us. Not the children
to receive the bedkits. They are already lined up according to the colours of their bright t-shirts
somewhere in the shade. We hear them singing, clapping the rhythm that ends with a thumbsup
and a yelled “Super!” As they should be they are excited, especially when they see the
contents of the bedkit held up high for viewing.
There are however, understandably, the children who do not receive bedkits. Easy to identify
they are the ones wearing either their khaki school uniforms or dresses or shorts and t-shirts.
Of course, these children are remarkable – large almond eyes, lashes like black silk tassels,
teeth, ever-present in wide smiles of anticipation to share the moment. No pouting. No
whining. No self-pity. Just being with the members of the SCAW team lucky enough to have
this moment.
Today this happened to me. One five-year-old boy in a striped t-shirt gently took my hand in
his little soft, cool one. Another bigger girl took my other hand, then a child took my wrist,
another my elbow, and before long we stood together as a group just being together. After a
few seconds one child touched my arm and said, “Blanc,” or White, as if to say, we’re different
but there’s something between us that’s the same. I pointed to another child, smiled and
nodded and said “Noir,”. Black. This tangle of hands and arm brought alive Martin Luther King’s
lines from his famous “I have a dream,” speech. When all God’s children, (I paraphrase) are
accepted each for themselves, no matter what the colour of their skin.
The hands up for the SCAW distribution program celebrates the gift of a good night’s sleep.
More important it celebrates the joy of complete strangers coming together for a brief time of
sharing a connection that matters because of the exchange oof human love
Heather Barclay, Togo Team 2016
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