Peregrine is asleep. So is Sakeenah. There is yelling outside and then that distinct dull thwop of fists connecting with heads. So of course I get outside. I'm awkward in putting on my shorts and by the time I get out into the alleyway the combatants have already been separated. A skinny guy is projecting …
In desiring to include more success stories about charities doing the right thing, I solicited a guest post from Jeph Mathias. Jeph works with a variety of NGOs across Asia (and beyond), specializing in the idea of complexity in development. This story was originally posted at Jeph's blog, unpredictable. It's Jeph from here: A small project …
I was getting kids for the literacy program when I saw a crowd gathering in one of the poorer neighborhoods of our community. An older woman was flailing about; three other ladies attempted to restrain her. I told my kids to hurry along without me and approached to see if it was a medical emergency. …
When a certain sound hits, you know something is going down in the slum. I look for the cause of the commotion and see a woman bathing at one of the communal water tanks. A gang of kids has gathered and are harassing her with glee, yelling “Ghost! Monster!” She shouts back at them and …
Soon after we came to the country, we encountered a man in our community who suffered from mental illness. He tended to sit half-dressed in the alley near our friends' room. At times he shouted incoherently and made motions with his head. He appeared to be suffering. One of my friends would sometimes sit next …
Stranger in a Slum 