My name is Larine Akinyi, I live in slums of Kibera. I am 10years old and going to grade 6 next year. It's good that God has granted us this wonderful day although other people did not see it.
I would like to write this note for our sponsors and to people in the world to know about the activities we do.
Firstly, it is good that I was able to join this program. I am so much aware that there are some people who don't appreciate what we do.
I am so much disappointed with this kind human thinking. As one of the committed student who usually attends the arts classes and with the deep information I have gain so far about our project, I would like to say that this project is important and with good intention to help us become better people.
Secondly, I would like to appreciate our sponsors for supporting us with somethings that we do use. We appreciate you for bringing this learning section of art and culture for us children living in slums and yo bring hope to us for a better future.
It would be great if you people as our sponsors continue supporting us and giving us a room to improve our lives. In future, if all goes well, we hope and wish that this project will grow big and many people all over the world will follow and support our work.
May God grant you with enough resources to continue spreading this good deeds to other children who may like to reach this place even for children's with special needs. Special thanks to you all.
Today, to respond to Larine post, I want to try to tell you two things that I think are very important and perhaps also quite difficult.
ReplyDelete- 1) According to Chinese culture, good and evil are never completely separated, there is always a balance between opposites. There is always a little good in the bad and a little bad in the good.
No person is completely bad or completely good.
This means two things:
1 - that we are never perfect beings, but we can try to start from the best of ourselves and give strength to this part. We can do it with commitment and with the choices of our lives. At the same time we can try to get to know the negative part of ourselves to fight it or keep it under control. It is always better to know one's enemy, even if it is within us. 2 - others also experience this duality, and we can try to help them strengthen their positive side instead of stimulating hatred, resentment, envy, fear or other negative parts.
I think that the negative part of ourselves can take over in some situations even if we don't want it, this happens for example when we are very afraid and for example in war.
- 2) When someone starts speaking badly about us and our project, saying for example that you shouldn't trust us, that we're hiding something, and maybe that we're taking advantage of you... you shouldn't think that this reaction is stupid or just ignorant.
Blindly trusting someone is objectively stupid, unfortunately life teaches us, over time, that we must be careful and know people well before trusting.
Just because someone helps it doesn't necessarily mean you can trust them. Unfortunately life is not that easy.
But this doesn't mean you have to constantly live in fear, there are other things that will help you understand whether you can trust it or not.
Trust is earned with time and mutual knowledge. There aren't many shortcuts.
First of all, in my opinion it is prudent to understand that no one gives or makes sacrifices out of a pure sense of duty, or out of pure goodness. Each of us has his/her own reason that drives us to do what we do.
If the person who helps you, or gives you something, also loves you, he should ask himself why he does it, and he should be aware that you have every reason to ask why he does it.
No parent here in Italy would peacefully leave his child to a stranger, just because he gives him something every week.
With this I want to tell you that it is absolutely right that you do not trust blindly, not even me.
Trust is never a given, it is built with effort on both sides. I need to know you and see your commitment to trust you, and the same goes for you.
Another important thing in my opinion is to understand and judge who is with you.
If the person is happy, calm, doesn't blackmail you, and willingly does what he does, then maybe it's right for you to trust him.
If the person who helps you cares that you feel protected, never makes requests that could put you in difficulty, does not exploit you unfairly... then it is likely that they truly love you and you can trust them.
If someone takes your trust as a given, and demands it, or blackmails you, or puts you in difficulty with your family or friends, or promises you exaggerated things... Then they are almost certainly dangerous persons.
This will also help you when browsing the internet, because the internet is a bit like the world, you can find a lot of information, you know many people, but what can you trust? How do we understand this?
Here too, if someone takes trust for granted it is not a good sign, and if someone takes you for stupid if you don't believe what he says, or if someone says that you are stupid for believing others because he knows things that he knows others hide from you... here we are already off to a bad start, and these people could be either stupid or dangerous.
After all this discussion, at this point you might be curious to know why I'm trying to help you. Or because I help you and not others...
If anyone wants to ask me, I'll be happy to try to answer 🙂❤️
Luca Luigi Aschieri