Toys

In America shelves of toys greet consumers in stores that entice children with a loveable mascot and the promise of hundreds of thousands of products to provide them with entertainment. These same children many a time find themselves bored with their newly purchased entertainment in the matter of a few days. The store provides more lucrative materials to fulfill this incessant need of the child. Once again a child indulges and gets their new fix of contentment.
A world away material goods are scarce and the promise of food overrides the insatiable desire for play things. Here, children create their toys from discarded materials haphazardly strewn across the village. They spend time in large groups making up games and other fantasies during their recreational time.
Currently, my brother, Khutso, has embarked on a journey of epic proportions. Attached to each of his shoulders are the straps of a grocery bag. As it trails behind him it is transformed into a glorious cape. He runs in the yard, as noble a superhero as any person could hope to be.
Many of the boys here have made toys cars through the manipulation of scrap wires. They are impressive creations putting many beginning engineers to shame. They drive their vehicles through the rough terrain of the village mimicking engine sounds as they progress.
The girls use rocks as manipulatives for their "board games" drawn into the dirt. With rope they create string art and skip rope without any guides. They teach each other and create new methods and songs with their own ingenuity.
Perhaps we have forgotten the basics in America. Children are inherently creative and resourceful individuals. We shouldn't stifle this by telling them not to play in the dirt or that certain items are "trash." They can lead a normal and well adjusted childhood without Toys R Us or Playstations.