As a young man, I happened to come into managing a health facility because the person who was supposed to run it was not in a position to do so. As often happens when you are thrown into a role you are not fully prepared for, you might feel overwhelmed. However, I quickly began to learn the ropes and there was no shortage of those who lent their advice, solicited or otherwise. This was in a developing country.

 

Some children and women, to help augment the household income had to hawk some wares around the offices. The most common things were local snacks and food which people who attended the offices could buy to eat. These snacks they prepared the night before or early that morning. Some of the children would go to school in the morning and come to ‘work’ afterwards to sell their goods. The income from these trade always went a long way in helping these families.

 

On assumption of the management of the facility, I decided that I needed to stop this ‘illegal’ food selling in and around the premises. I wrote to the ‘traders’ to cease from selling their wares around the area.

 

The following day, the husband of one of the women come to see me with my letter. He pleaded with me to allow the wife to continue to sell around our office. His story was heart wrenching. They had six children, only manages to get labourer work infrequently. They lived in a rented overcrowded accommodation. Without the income of the wife from that little ‘business’ of selling she brings in, the family will starve. Yes, starve. As I listened to his story, I knew they were so many families like them in a similar situation. This is not just a story that is common in that community but around the world. The story of the poor around the world is heart wrenching and continues to grow.

 

He concluded by telling me, ‘young man, I can see you are not married, when you do, you will discover that you marry with only one eye’. He was effectively telling me, when you are married, and as you run this facility, you need not see everything or can you?