Summary

The author, living in New Delhi, India, finds fulfillment in feeding a hungry child named Ruksana, whose family's hardship during the pandemic leads them to beg in the city.

Abstract

The author recounts an encounter with a young girl named Ruksana at a local shopping center in New Delhi. Ruksana, who is about six years old, approaches the author with her grandmother, seeking money for food. The author learns that Ruksana's family, from a village, has been affected by the pandemic, leading to unemployment and homelessness. Despite facing disapproval from bystanders, the author buys food for Ruksana, an act that brings the child immense joy and a sense of gratitude. This experience sparks a deep sense of fulfillment and thankfulness in the author, who reflects on the privilege of having a home, family, and sustenance. The author emphasizes the importance of empathy and kindness, especially towards those less fortunate, and acknowledges the profound impact of such acts on personal happiness and strength.

Opinions

The author believes that helping a child in need is deeply fulfilling and is an act that should be free of ulterior motives.
There is a sense of injustice noted by the author regarding the child's circumstances, being born into poverty and facing the consequences of the pandemic without proper support.
The author challenges societal attitudes that discourage helping the needy, particularly the sentiment that feeding one hungry child will lead to being approached by others.
The author values human connection and the joy it brings, as evidenced by the child's reaction to the act of kindness.
The experience has ignited a sense of purpose and direction in the author, reinforcing the importance of empathy and adaptability in the face of life's challenges.

My Spark in Life

Helping a hungry child eat is deeply fulfilling for me

I live in New Delhi in India. There is a community center close by where I can just walk across from my house for my daily needs.

There are some shops here and eating joints there. There are many vendors as well besides expensive restaurants that are licensed for selling street food. They have food stalls on wheels.

There are many offices here too. The employees constantly throng these places for food depending on their budget.

Today I visited this local shopping center as I had to deposit a cheque. As I went there, one little child in the picture above followed me. Looking at the child I could not make out whether it is a girl or boy.

I saw the kid going now and again to an old lady and back to me. She asked me for money. Now I knew she was a girl. She sweetly introduced me to her grandma and again started asking for money.

When I moved towards the bank quickly she just waited outside the bank patiently for me. When I came out she said she was hungry and if I would feed her.

This little child was not more than six years old and she was begging for food and money. I got really interested in her and I asked her story. She told me that her name was Ruksana and the family was from a village. Her school had closed down due to the pandemic and her parents had no employment.

They moved to Delhi in search of employment and did not get any employment here also. They were living under a bridge and she told her grandmother that they should go to the market and get some money to feed the family. Since she was very hungry she forgot the needs of everyone else and I just felt I should feed her.

I took her to one of the stalls and she asked for an egg roll. When I was buying the roll people hanging around were a little upset watching me ordering a roll. They came close and said, angrily, if you feed her, more will come and they are all liars. I still did not take heed and they asked me if I was an owner of a Non-Government Organization (NGO). I told them loudly that I have no ulterior motive and I just want to feed the child.

The child became anxious that I would get influenced by others and her hope for food would be denied. I ordered the roll. Other children came close to her ready to snatch the food from her falling close to her like vultures. I came close to her and protected her and she ate the roll, slowly savoring the taste with each bite. Then she looked at her chips packet and smiled at me. A very sweet smile and then hugged me.

This was my spark in life. A hungry child eating her food. Thank you, God, I am grateful for you. I am fine, you have protected me. I live in a home. I have a family and I have food. I can work.

Final thoughts

Feeding a hungry child and receiving a smile and a hug from her gave me a lot of satisfaction and I thanked God that my living condition was so good. I should never crib and cringe.

Being born is not a choice of life. The child was born in a poor family. She is unlucky and is unable to study or eat her fill. I enjoyed my time with her, giving her love and comfort.

My sparks in life always come with feeding the hungry and spending time with them listening to their stories.Such acts of kindness give me strength and happiness in life.

The smile and the happiness of the child with the human connection of the hug that I received. I knew there were sparks ignited in me for adapting to the new normal and finding new directions in life.

Thank you Aimée Gramblin for this wonderful prompt in Age of Empathy and for giving me a platform for my thoughts.

The original prompt is given below:

January 2021 Age of Empathy Writing Prompt

What’s your spark?

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