Differences: Neglegence & Respect

I’ve seen alot on this trip. Some good, some… not so much. When I first got here in Gabon the first thing I noticed was the poverty and the LARGE amounts of trash dispersed everywhere. Later, meeting children at the Hope House I learned that Gabonese people put their families first before anything else, whereas in America it’s not like that almost at all. We(Americans) tend to gravitate more to technology and our own personal needs rather than the people as a whole. Compared to us, the Gabonese are the happiest and friendliest people I’ve ever meet. They have so little but they try so hard to love EVERYONE. For example: At the Hope House, the minute I walked through their door I immediately was embraced by hugs and loving people. they only know you for 5 minutes and you’ve already created a friendship greater and more meaningful than any relationship ive ever had. These Children have been put through some of the worst situations anyone could imagine yet they forget about their losses and love you with everything they have.

Some things I’ve learned that I wish I hadn’t was that I’ve never been soo happy to see so many dead dogs in the streets. Here in Gabon animals are priceless to them, so they are like deer to us. The animals here (dogs and cats) have no food and their only means of surviving is digging through any trash they may find food in. I’ve seen emaciated dogs and cats in so many piles of garbage that I want to cry my eyes out. Right out side of the house we are staying in is a huge pile of garbage and we saw a kitten,newly born,fighting for its life trying to find food in this pile of plastic and wrappers. Its disgusting to see how these animals are treated. We were on our way to the beach when the group and i saw a grown man hit a dog for being near him. All dogs here are stray, and to hear that dog cry like that for wanting some food and love was sickening and I hated that man with everything I had in me.

But because these people can’t even afford 2 meals a day they can’t afford to give their food to anyone other than their families. its sad, but in their culture this is a way of life and a sad truth of how poverty can affect everyone and everything.

Gabonese people love Americans, when we walk down the street they yell OBAMA! or AMERICANS! They have so much love for us and now I wonder why. After being here.. I see many Americans as almost mean hearted people…

Put it this way.. If we gave a stick to a Gabonese child so he could play with it. He’d be so grateful and give anything he had to you. But when we give our own kids a cell phone or a lap top, there are never satisfied… they want more and more and more and have, they take without even a thank you in return, almost as if its expected of them that their parents give them things. Its terrible. We ask and ask and ask and never give. These people make us seem ridiculous i feel like we should be put in their situation just so we could see how it’s like to suffer and in the end not care because you still have family even though you can’t afford 2 meals a day. I kind of  hate being American.. This trip is going to make me want to change us and how we perceive ourselves. Instead of being selfish greedy people, but loving and giving people who wouldn’t mind giving up a cellphone for a starving family.

Samm