'Hungry Corner'

A few observations from my most recent African Adventure 2014

'Hungry Corner'

 

Welcome to Hungry Corner

Where it is not unusual

 

For pot bellied children

To cry themselves to sleep

Dreaming of sun dried fish and rice

 

Welcome to Lonely Corner

Where no one ever smiles

 

Welcome to Hungry Corner

Where old men fill

Their empty bowls with culture

 

Together with their collective saliva

They drool and dream of a yesterday long gone

 

Welcome to Hungry Corner

Where the impossible is possible

And everything will inevitably turn out wrong

 

 

Author's Note

Make up your own mind but you can sponsor a child for very little per month or alternatively, you could sponsor the Tanka Tanka Foundation for 10 euro's for a whole year... Tanka Tanka is the only psychiatric hospital in The Gambia West Africa I worked as a volunteer there between Feb and April 2014... If anyone is interested in sponsoring please contact me and I will provide further details... Thanks N

Reviews

[Betty Hermelee]

Sometimes we must stop and think of those who are hungry and can only dream of food…those empty bowls go too long until a Caring person gives them a drop in the bucket… so may die of starvation… and we are gluttons in comparison, …..these are the realities of hunger worldwide ….
Thank you Neville for writing about this..
Warmly
B

[Neville]

please forgive my uncharacteristically late reply to your most kind visit and associated comment Betty, I have been rather busy recently .. but as always, my gratitude & thanks are both warm and sincere .. Neville

[Betty Hermelee]

You never have to apologize!!! And you're very welcome!
Warmly, B

[Chris Shaw]

Ten years ago and so many hungry children. Ten years later and there are far more hungry children in even more places throughout the world. What does that tell me? Power corrupts. It also tells me that foreign aid can get into the wrong hands. The starving children we all desperately want to help, do not benefit from the money sent. Where does it go? To the warmongers who build their coffers for purchasing weapons of mass destruction. The so called leaders of these nations should hang their heads in shame that they can’t feed their own children. In truth they DO NOT CARE and are quite happy to sacrifice them while they live in luxury. Now that is what I call evil. You arouse many emotions with the resurrection of this write Neville. I cry for the children.

I am more inclined to donate when there are natural disasters. The aid is more likely to get through then.

Chris

[Neville]

Ten years, blimey .. it seems only like yesterday .. thanks so much for seeing it my way Chris .. In view of the fact I am thinking of scaling down on work (after all, there are much more important things in life) I am presently debating a return to Tanka Tanka for my third stint there .. Neville

[Chris Shaw]

Hands on is so much more valuable Neville. Your own time and field of knowledge just can’t be beaten. If you go I will be happy to make a donation if it will reach those in real need. Let me know.

[Neville]

.......................... You Chris are a bloomin ⭐👍

[Chris Shaw]

I mean it ………..:)

[emmajoy]

Without people like you, the world would starve even more, Takes minutes to write a cheque, to arrange standing debit or ... go to an office, turn to a charity. WHIlST we bbQ here and now.. when the fridge, freezer, larder is full.. we need stop, think, remember how lucky, fortunate, we are.

Neville, , you and others similar are.. daily reminders of how to be truly Human and have the right to walk on two feet instead of craawling into crevices.. Thank you.. bl ess.

[Neville]

you are far too generous, as always, but you know I like it.............Hope you have a happy Bank Holiday tomorrow....

[emmajoy]

Hope not 'over the top' but truly meant.. believe me. Guess you've even helped a t a soup kitchen or two over here.. dark night.. wet night.. we learn in steps of what we would avoid but never should.

[Neville]

Hey, how do you know that... yes. I had a clinic at Northampton Night Shelter & Soup Kitchen for years.....

[Neville]

blimey........

[emmajoy]

Sorry, think my Pimms has hit my brain.. time to prepare for visitors ' return. ..

[Stella Armour]

Even though i only have my state pension i did start paying a small amount monthly to Save the Children , then i discovered how much top celebrities were earning from the funds to be figureheads for various charities so i cancelled my subscription... i was, to be honest "Fuming"; they should head these charities for free.
So now how do we know if money is being creamed off ?

I have since found that all the large charities pay a substantial amount of money to people to advertise for them using big names.

:((

[Neville]

what you say is sad but am afraid so very true.. My wife and I have sponsored children for many years but the charity continued to ask for more and more... when I last went to Africa.. I made my own inquiries and found that for £25 I could provide good food, health care and education for between 3 and 5 children.. with no money creamed off into unnecessary and or greedy pockets... I know there are many folk who give generously and was not asking for a set donation or gift as I believe if folk wish to give, they will... my chosen charity was to the Tank Tanka Foundation... via a Dutch lady called Anna Bouman.. who I know personally and was thinking of no more than a couple of £ being sent directly to her.............anyway, it was just an idea... maybe not my best to date but hey... I was hoping to get back to Africa this year but it now seems a bit unlikely....next year is still feasible and would like to drive over and take a shed load of medical equipment and supplies.. actually was going to do it last year but co-driver let me down....N x

[Stella Armour]

it's a wonderful and very honourable way to make a difference in the lives of these children, if you go again Neville let me know and i will donate diectly to you to buy something needed. At the moment my chosen charity is Barnados, but i tend to donate things to the shop rather than money. occasionally i will donate one of my poetry books to a raffle at a local charity... but yes, do let me know if you personally are going over there again xx

[Stella Armour]

ps: once i stopped my payments to Save the Children, i was bombarded with phone calls from them to the point that they annoyed me so much i was glad i had withdrawn

[Neville]

I know the feeling well t was the same with World Vision and Children in Need.. I presently send money to a friend called Sol who personally divides my £20 per month between 5 youngsters 2 of whom are orphaned... We do subscribe to a couple of Cancer charities, Motor Neurone Disease and Alzheimers.... I will certainly keep you in mind when I go back.. Cheers Stella & Bless you.... Neville

[Stella Armour]

no problem at all Neville... always a pleasure to help children directly .

[Terpsichore]

The giving is never enough to salve the conscience when those pictures of sick and hungry children are flashed on the screen. I give, a regular amount by direct debit every month, even though I know it's no more than a drop in the ocean, there is at least the knowledge that even in a small way it helps.

It's the world we have created, and sometimes I hate it. T.

[Neville]

You got it T thank you for considering Hungry Corner, much appreciated & keep up the good work. I hope to return early next year.......... N

[R J Askew]

Ach, again, that last line is a killer. This is a strong poem because it is real and takes us to a real place where we feel humbled if we have a heart.

[Neville]

Thank you, very much appreciated, N

[Lyn Anderson]

Powerful stuff. Incredibly moving. I hope people will consider sponsoring.

[Neville]

Bless that Kat whoever and wherever you are