Teaching kids to be pro-poor
Mother Teresa once spotted a young girl in India who was evidently very hungry. She must have been 6 or 7 years old. The saintly nun handed her bread and the poor child started to eat, but crumb by crumb. So Mother Teresa told her, "Eat, eat the bread, you are hungry." The little girl lifted her face, looked at Mother Teresa, and said, "I am afraid, when the bread will be finished, I will be hungry again."
Poor people who go hungry are common not only in India but here in our own country as well. We are all aware of this. In a nation like the Philippines where more than 27 million people find it hard to make ends meet, it is a great negligence on the part of parents and teachers if children are not taught, from their early years, how to be compassionate towards the less fortunate ones, towards those who lack the basic material means.
In my more than 16 years of experience as a school teacher, I have seen and learned some of the effective ways concerned parents do in fostering in their own children compassion and love for the poor. Here are some of them.
Pro-actively teach children to share their belongings with the other members of the family. Children's love for the poor develops gradually. It often starts with concern for the people surrounding them at home. Sensible parents know that generosity should start inside the house, for charity ought to begin there. Children with such parents are often encouraged to share their food, clothing, school materials, toys, and other things with their siblings. I remember how one day, I saw a boy in our school cafeteria buying so many goodies. I asked him where he was taking those candies. He said that those were for his little sisters waiting for him at home. Familial thoughtfulness such as this often develops into compassion for those who suffer.
Talk about stories on generosity. What do you think would be the reaction of your children if you tell your spouse, within the hearing distance of your kids, the story of Mother Teresa above? Children who are told or are allowed to hear stories of kindness gradually assimilate life-changing values. One practice of many good families that lends itself well for this purpose is the story telling during meal times. It is highly advisable that families take meals together, at least once a day. Parents can then plan the topics they could talk about during this period. Children need not be asked to react all the time to stories they hear. Even when they seem not to listen, in reality, their antennae are often up and ready to pick up anything.
Get them to interact with the poor. I remember one of my students told me with great excitement how his parents organized a birthday party for his grandmother. But guess where the party was held? In a slum area. The boy was so thrilled as he related to me his interactions with the indigent children. He winded up his story by telling me that it was an experience he will never forget.
Close encounter with indigence often urges the young hearts of children to do some small sacrifices for those who weep. Little by little, these boys and girls who are exposed to life's miseries wake up to the reality that it is a huge waste to spend one's life seeking nothing but pleasures and comforts.
I also recall a reaction from another boy. One day, I went out with one of my students, to visit a very poor family and hand them some food. By the way, visiting a squatter area with one or two boys is something I do on weekends from time to time. Going back to my story, in that visit, we talked to the owner of the hovel about many things. We were taken aback when he started to narrate some of the tragic events that took place in that small house under a river bridge. We learned from him how one day, his brother, out of despair, took his own life by drowning himself in the river. After that visit, I talked to my student and asked him what he thought about that family. He looked me in the eye and told me, "Sir, when I grow up, I will go back to that house and do something to help them." I smiled and encouraged him to carry out such a wonderful resolution.
Kids who are pro-poor often grow up with a sense of mission. They learn little by little that real joy is not found in selfishly pursuing their own self-interests, but rather, it is discovered in making the life of the people around them more bearable and pleasant.