Jonathan Homer

Jonathan Homer (Undugu Society): Jonathan is a native of Idaho and a graduate of Utah State University where he studied history and international economics. While at Utah State University, Jonathan volunteered for an international service organization that focused on humanitarian work in Mexico and South America. Jonathan also took a two-year break from his undergraduate studies to perform service in the islands of Micronesia, which introduced him to the importance of humanitarian work and international law. After his undergraduate studies, Jonathan interned at the US Department of State's Bureau of African Affairs and worked for US Senator Mike Crapo. At the time of his fellowship, Jonathan was a student at George Washington University Law School with an interest in international human rights law. After his fellowship, Jonathan wrote: "This summer allowed me to get in touch with a major part of humanity: the disempowered and weak. There is something personally empowering that comes from witnessing such suffering. I am very grateful to have had this experience."



Individuals, not numbers

02 Aug

Every morning, as a part of my commute, I pass the same boy. He seems to be about 16 years old and he sits on the same stoop in downtown Nairobi with a tin cup at his feet with a few shillings in it. He wears the same blue hooded sweatshirt and green slacks. The boy sits in silence and stares forward as the business suits of Nairobi pass him; some giving a shilling, some not. The boy is blind. His eyes are swollen and open just enough to show two slits of white to the world.

The first time I saw him, my heart ached. Then, I saw him day after day, sitting on the same stoop, with the same blue sweatshirt and the same tin cup. Regretfully, human nature took its toll and I became desensitized to the boy. He turned from being the tragic character of my morning commute to just being a landmark reminding me that I was 25 minutes away from my destination.

I don’t like that feeling. I believe in individualism. Yet in my own mind, I let that boy go from being an individual with some unique needs to just being a fixture of Kenyatta Avenue. I feel sick for it. I feel guilty for no longer struggling to pass him with confidence. I feel guilty for forgetting that he is an individual with some mass of potential and worth. After seeing him day after day, he became a part of just another statistic. In spite of their necessity, I don’t like statistics for their base generalizations.

One statistic that I have read several times in the past couple of months is 60,000. There are an estimated 60,000 children in Nairobi living on the streets. That’s more people than live in Idaho Falls, the town I grew up in. It’s hard to fathom what that 60,000 actually represents. It doesn’t just represent a mass of homeless children; it actually represents unique children with histories and hopes that are individual to them only. It is important for me, and others, to remember that the statistic is more than a cold, base number. It is a symbol of something much greater.

I don’t want to forget that the children in the streets of Nairobi are more than a statistic. To do this, I am going to highlight some of the children I have met in the streets. In the next few weeks, I will try to show you what makes each child unique. I hope you will read some of their stories. I’m going to begin by introducing you to Eric.

Posted By Jonathan Homer

Posted Aug 2nd, 2007

1 Comment

  • Amy Burrows

    August 10, 2007

     

    I completely relate to you… I find myself becoming numb to harsh realities- realities that you so eloquently describe in your profile blogs. thanks for this… This particular blog made me take a look in the mirror and reminded me to never stop “feeling.” It’s hard to do, right?

Enter your Comment

Submit

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

 

Fellows

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003