Clicks-brille en Menswaardigheid

As deel van my nuwe werk by die Fakulteit Teologie by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch met opdrag menswaardigheid, het ek hierdie week ‘n merkwaardige inisiatief ontdek. Die Siyazama projek (in Xhosa “we are trying”) onder leiding van Marietjie Botha van Egon (Eenheid vir Godsdiens en Ontwikkelingsnavorsing) wat gekoppel is aan die Teologiese Fakulteit, bring elke Dinsdag 20-30 Xhosa vroue bymekaar. Hierdie vroue wat almal werkloos is, het ‘n groentetuin by die laerskool gevestig en leer in ruil vir ‘n daaglikse maaltyd wat hul kinders by die skool ontvang asook ‘n maandelikse kospakkie van die Stellenbosch Community Development Programme in Kayamandi naaldwerkvaardighede wat hulle in staat stel om kreatiewe items soos interaktiewe kinderkombersies (kombersies met raserige, kleurvolle speelgoed vasgewerk en ‘n sakkie waar ‘n mens lekkergoed wegsteek), vrolike handsakke, asook brilhuisies te maak. Die vroue word betaal vir elke voltooide item wat hulle in staat stel om vir hulle gesinne iets basies soos elektrisiteit te koop of die materiaal vir warm komberse wat broodnodig is in hierdie ysige Kaapse winter van ons. Benewens die samesyn wat hierdie groep vroue op ‘n Dinsdag ervaar, word die belangrike basiese menslike behoefte van waardigheid wat spruit uit werk gevoed – ervaar die vroue wat meer as hulle deel van swaarkry beleef het, die genoegdoening om iets prakties te doen om vir jou gesin te sorg.

Wat vir my veral uitgestaan het van my besoek, en die beeld wat ek met my sal saamdra – saam met die turkooise geborduurde brilhuisie wat ek gekoop het (waarin my selfoon nou bly – ek dra nog nie bril nie!), is die vrouens met hulle Clicks-brille. Marietjie het agtergekom dat heelparty van die vroue nie goed kan sien nie – nogal ‘n voorvereiste vir die fyn naaldwerk wat die vroue leer doen. Sy het toe ‘n klomp brille by Clicks gaan koop met verskillende sigsterktes. Die vroue kon vir hulle ‘n bril kies wat vir hulle werk. Gemerk met ‘n groot gekleurde plakker aan die raam, kan hulle nou tydens hulle werksessies die bril gebruik en so hulle naaldwerk doen wat verantwoordelik is vir hulle enigste bron van inkomste.

Die handeling om ‘n bril vir ‘n bysiende vrou te gee het my getref as ten diepste ‘n daad van menswaardigheid. Dit dui daarop om iemand se nood raak te sien. Om iets prakties te doen dat sy kan sien. Sodat sy kan brilhuisies kan maak. Sodat sy kan elektrisiteit of kos of komberse kan koop vir haar gesin.

Dit het my nogal laat dink aan die Nuwe Testament verhale van Jesus wat die blindes genees; wat modder neem en op die blinde man se oë plaas en so sy basiese versugting “dat ek mag sien” bevredig. Van Jesus wat die uitgeworpenes in die gemeenskap, die armes, die tollenaars, die melaatses, die prostitute in die binnekring inbring en so die basiese behoefte “dat ek mag wees” aanspreek. Van Jesus wat kos voorsien aan hulle wat honger is en so aan die basiese sug “dat ek mag oorleef” gehoor gee.

Simone Weil haal in haar artikel “Forms of the Implicit Love of God” die woorde van ‘n Spaanse lied aan: “As enigiemand hom- of haarself onsigbaar wil maak, is daar geen sekerder manier as om arm te word nie.” Sy skryf dan verder: “Love sees what is invisible.”

Hier in ons mooi land met sy komplekse sosio-ekonomiese nood, waar gee ons aan ander ‘n bril, ‘n werksgeleentheid, ‘n warm maaltyd, ‘n oomblik van ons besige dag? Waar sien ons die mense in die plakkershutte raak, kyk ons verby die oppervlak na dit wat die straatkind, die werklose man en vrou werklik nodig het? Mag daar vir meer van ons wees wat Clicks-brille uitdeel vir ons broers en susters wat dit werklik nodig het.

Clicks Eyeglasses and Human Dignity

As part of my new work at the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University with special assignment human dignity, I have recently discovered a aremarkable initiative. The Siyazama project (in Xhosa “we are trying”) under the auspice of Marietjie Botha of Egon (Unit for Religion and Research Development) that is connected to the Faculty of Theology, brings every Tuesday 20-30 Xhosa women together. These women, who are all unemployed and have established a vegetable garden at the primary school and in return for a daily meal for their children at school as well as a monthly food parcel from the Stellenbosch Community Development Program in Kayamandi, are learning needle work skills that enable them to make creative items such as interactive children’s blankets (blankets with loud, colorful toys attached as well as a pocket where one can hide sweets), colorful handbags, as well as eyeglass cases. The women are paid for every item that they complete which enable them to buy for their families something as basic as electricity or the material for warm blankets that are essential in our freezing Cape Town winters. In addition to the community that this group of women experience on Tuesdays, their basic human need of dignity that grows out the ability to work is nurtured. The women who have experienced more than their share of suffering can experience the satisfaction of doing something practical to care for your family.

What struck me from my visit, and the image that I carry with me – together with the turquoise embroidered eyeglass case that I bought (in which my cell phone now lives – I do not yet where glasses!), is the women with their Clicks eyeglasses. Marietjie came to realize that quite a few of the women cannot see very well – kind of a prerequisite for the detailed needlework the women are learning to do. She then went ahead and bought a number of eyeglasses at Clicks for different levels of eye sight. The women could then choose for them a set of eyeglasses with which to work. Marked with a large colorful sticker on the frame, they can use eyeglasses that suit their level of eyesight well so that they can do the needle work that is responsible for their only source of income.

The act of giving eyeglasses to a nearsighted woman has struck me as a profound act of human dignity. It is representative of seeing someone’s need. To do something practical so that she may see. So that she can make eyeglass cases. So that she can buy electricity or food or blankets for her family.

This image has led me to ponder the New Testament narratives of Jesus healing the blind, taking mud and placing it on the blind man’s eyes so that his basic desire “that I may see” is satisfied. I was thinking of Jesus who brought the excluded from the community, the poor, the tax collectors, the lepers, the prostitutes into the inner circle so recognizing the back need “that I may be”. And of Jesus who provided food to those who are hungry and so responded to the basic cry “that I may survive.”

Simone Weil quotes in her essay, “Forms of the Implicit Love of God,” the words of a Spanish song: “If anyone wants to make him- or herself invisible there is no surer way than to become poor.” She continues: “Love sees what is invisible.”

In our beautiful country with its complex socio-economic need, where do we give to others a set of eyeglasses, a job opportunity, a warm meal, a moment in a busy day? Where do we truly see people in the squatter camps, do we look past the surface to what the homeless man and woman really need? May there be more of us who are handing out Clicks eyeglasses to our brothers and sisters in need.