Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Rural People In Big Cities


It came as a surprise to me when I heard some rural people were seen scavenging for food from garbage bins outside restaurants in big cities.

These poor rural folks, mostly youths, had gone to our big cities to seek greener pastures.

But many of them were now homeless and unemployed.

They were seen roaming around the streets and relying on food given by good people and on leftover in dustbins.

There were many reasons for their miserable state and these included being cheated by unscrupulous agents who abandoned them in big cities.

It was embarrassing and shameful to even think of the plight of our homeless people in our own country.

Foraging for food from dustbins was usually done by street children of foreign descent, by now by our own people!

These rural people thought that they would stand a chance to find their pot of gold in big cities.

They gave up their village life.

They wanted to get away from poverty, misery and obscurity.

They were attracted to the city lights and life.

They ran after wealth, luxury and glamor.

But many of them didn't know that food and shelter could be a scarcity in big cities too.

If they were in their villages, these problems would not have arisen.

When they needed food, all they had to do was to hunt or fish, or they could just depend on rice with tapioca leaves.

The issue of our homeless rural people in our big cities was a grave concern.

It was depressing and disappointing to hear that there were few decent job opportunities in small towns and rural areas.

It was depressing and disappointing to realize that empty promises from employment agents and abuses by employers were so rampant and prevalent in our country these days.

And it was depressing and disappointing to learn that many of us were still unable to blend into the lifestyle of the people in new places.

Sometimes, I wondered why our homeless rural people refused to return home.

Is it because of pride?

Oh! Rural people in big cities.

3 comments:

bingkee said...

I don't think it's because of pride...I think these poor people still have a load full of a rich and flaming hope ....that someday they will find their place in the city and that all their dreams are going to be realized there. Most people from the rural areas do not usually have pride ---because otherwise, they won't move to the cities. They know the shame, desolation and harshness that they might encounter but still because of hope they go pursuing their dreams there.

imelda said...

well its called kahiyaan na. i know a lot of them there. hey first time for me here. glad to meet ya.

Tomas said...

People who are scavenging for food from garbage bins are the daily picture I watch through my window. Thus I read your article with great interest.
The garbage bin symbolize my own perspective too, because as the jobless disabler I too am dependent on the grace of others.
I can't identify myself with the rural people who came to big city, because I was born here (am the native so to speak) but I can easily visualize myself in a garbage bin too. That's the picture of Love (the diagnosis of world's current state)
My life until trauma looked otherwise, yet now I too look at food given by good people so to speak. At a moment I still am incredibly rich (I still can gaze through my window and even to blog) yet that's walking on the edge. My future didn't depend on my consciousness or any acts. I didn't know what would be tomorrow, but I want to welcome you to my art gallery (I call so my blog) today.
Let me end my short response with my motto.
The depth of the steps we leave in life depends on our love to other. The spiritual healing by the fine arts starts at a moment we recognize ourselves in others.

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