In case you have not heard, millions of locusts have invaded Mauritania wreaking havoc on the lush desert landscape and decimating this year's harvest. In addition to the increase in the rate of malnutrition as a result of the loss of crops, my town also endured days of power outages due to locusts chewing through the electrical grid system. As a result, I spent many lonely nights under the cover of candlelight with nothing better to do than listen to sad music. It was during this time that I ran across the late 90s song, "When the Children Cry" by White Lion. Excerpts of the lyrics are below:
Little child, dry your crying eyes
How can I explain the fear you feel inside?
Cause you were born into this evil world
Where man is killing man
And no one knows just why
What have we begun?
Just look at what we have done
All that we've destroyed
You must build again
When the children cry
Let them know we tried
Cause when the children sing
Then the new world begins
Little child, you must show the way
To a better day for all good now
Cause you were born for the world to see
That we all can live a life in peace
No more presidents
And all the wars will end
One united world under God...
When hearing this song, I can't help but think of the beautiful smiling faces and the laughter of my host siblings here in Mauritania. At the same time, I imagine what their lives would be like if they lived in Iraq, Sudan, or Afghanistan. Smiles and laughter quickly turn to grief and despair. How can you explain war to children when you can't understand it yourself?
Janine
