I recently heard a phenomenal story http://m-gat.es/2dy21no @TheMoth on the healing power of bearing witness. In it, South African writer and activist Sisonke Msimang states: “Bearing witness is a form of action — sometimes the single most important thing we can do in order to fix everything within us that is broken. And I realized that you can’t do anything — you certainly can’t change the world — unless you’ve learned how to sit, how to be with people, in silence.”
With over a dozen visits and a year of my life breathing the sweet Kenyan air, I am convinced that poverty and injustice in developing countries will not be erased in our lifetime. With due respect to the initiatives of the MDGs(2015) and the SDGs(2030), they are but guidelines to be met when all political, social environmental factors are in sync. Service providers show amazing resilience and courage, often going well beyond their own parameters of safety and security. They too are limited by external factors beyond their control. There are no easy solutions, no quick fixes.
I once asked a Canadian veteran of humanitarian aid what he did to measure the success in his work. Ron Ward worked in Kenya for four decades in a number of health, education and nutrition outreach programs. His answer was “I hang around.” In his view it was more important to first be accepted by local elders and chiefs. Furthermore, he believed strongly that to meet a humanitarian need through a western mindset was a recipe for disaster. So hanging out meant meeting people in their world, getting to know them as human beings and by doing so breaking down barriers of mistrust.
CES Canada Patron Ron Ward built hospitals, schools and provided access to education for thousands of needy children. He was a doer, but first he learned the principle of coming alongside, acknowledging the reality of pain and then acting in ways that were progressive and inclusive. Ron embodied what the prophet Micah wrote about what God requires of us. What a pleasure it was to spend time and learn from a man who believed that "to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God" was the essence of life.
I have learned the value of spending time with people in mud huts, at their shambas, in the village and at the local school. This is where the heart is softened, even broken. These are the places where true understanding happens.
While visiting the shamba of Gilbert Kiptoo (CES Sports Ambassador) I had occasion to walk his property with Shadrack, a young 12 year old Kenyan boy adopted by Gilbert. We entered a dimly lit mud hut and were invited to sit and spend time with two elderly women who lived there. We nodded, smiled and spoke in different languages. After some time I decided to leave. As I stood to leave I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. Shamrock's non verbal communication was clear, it was not time to leave. What I neglected to consider was a beautiful Kenyan custom. "Mzungu, you may not leave until tea has been served."
The urge to do something needs to be suppressed in favour of first “bearing witness.” When people get together, have a meal or a cup of tea, there is something special that happens. Our common humanity is evident as we realize we are more alike than we are different. As we spend time "hanging out" without rushing to the next appointment, we bear witness to the fact that all people are valued and are an integral part of the human experience.
We can learn much from other cultures that practice a life where people are more important than things and where relationships are valued over substance. I am reminded of the verse in the New Testament Colossians that says, "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." These qualities are so evident in the Kenyan people I have met.
To dress is a conscious act where decisions are made as to what to wear. To put on the metaphorical clothing of patience requires a predisposition towards a simpler and less stressful lifestyle. Gentleness and humility are virtues that seek to raise the profile of others. God loves all people; yet, there are those He has chosen to display some of the same characteristics that Jesus displayed in his life. He had compassion for all and gave respect to the vulnerable and the poor. What an honour it is to reflect the Christ's attributes in small measure. Within this context, getting dressed in clothing far greater than the finest runways of Paris or Milan is a brilliant opportunity. We are able to bear witness to the fact that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
Canadian Senem Ozkin recently volunteered for CES Canada in Kenya. She was part of a CES Canada/Kenya team that provided relief and medical aid for children in rural Kenya suffering from Jiggers. In her words, “After hundreds of kids had gone through the process of being de-jiggered, their feet soaked in sodium bicarbonate to close up their wounds, on they went - many of them without shoes - to their homes. Facing the reality of leaving these kids behind and wondering how these brave little souls handled themselves in such a grown-up way was almost too much to comprehend. What could we do to give them back their innocence? So little really when compared to what they gave us.”
Senem applied the principle of “bearing witness” and by being there, her perspective was altered. As one who washed those little feet and held their tender frames while the jiggers were being removed, there was a healing of a different kind that was taking place.
By feeling the hurt and acknowledging where people suffer the most, we come to realize that but for a different set of geographic circumstances, we too could be in this place. We become better people, more empathetic and it is at this point the most effective and inspiring humanitarian impact can be done.
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