Perspective

A little cartoon that went "mini-viral" on Facebook. It claims to help people gain perspective but from what I see, the cartoon is a typical how Americans view Africans- misinformed, outdated. 

To begin, these children are all seen with no shirts on and somewhat tribal looking bottoms. Not all kids in Africa, actually most, do not look like or live like this picture suggests. They don't roam naked in tribes in the jungle all day. 

Secondly, most children in Africa DO sit in school for hours of the day as well just like North American children. Except there is no aircon, normally no posters on the wall, no toys, no crayons, not enough desks, not enough teachers, not enough classrooms. Oh yes, African children sit in class all day but they sweat, its 90 degrees, cram 4 into a desk for 1, have 50 students per classroom. And maybe kids in America are overdosed, but kids here, they can die from not having access to drugs. Kids in America take medication for disorder such as attention deficit but at least they are alive; they didn't die from malaria. 

Third, children in the US and their parents choose to not exercise and sit in front of the TV. It's simple, turn it off. And this cartoon phrases it as "those poor North American kids." That is not what they are thinking. TV and video games are not an option for these kids who would give about anything to see a cinema. The $.50 it costs can be too much for them. And they don't "exercise" as our obese culture thinks of it. Exercise means survival not running with your iPod. You walk kilometers to get water. You work in the garden to get food to survive. There's no cardio because you eat too much chicken and Coke. 

And "fake" food. At least there is food in America even if we abuse it. And meal plans. And food stamps. I walk outside, and honestly, all that "fresh" food in Malawi doesn't do much as the kids all have distended bellies due to extreme malnutrition. They can't afford vitamins we sell at the clinic for $.75. An avocado full of needed fats is expensive at .$25. This is a reality for many. I've lived in Malawi for 11 months and it's not all we think. It poor. But it's progressing. It's natural. But people still go hungry. 

I was rubbed wrong by this cartoon. Don't adjust your perspective if its just to a new skewed perspective.