Desperation

despair: a state in which all hope is lost or absent.

She walks in the office with faded clothes and unkept hair. Her face shows signs of a rough life, her eyes scream help. Carrying a broken backpack, she wanders into our office and takes a seat. She is in desperation.

The market is lined with women and men selling their goods. Fruits, vegetables, souvenirs and spices. The economic downturn has forced people to enter in the informal sector of society, selling fruits and vegetables that could be feeding their families. "Miss Miss, you need some spices". "Miss, come nuh". Market square is overrun and vendors are spilling into the streets and sidewalks. She is in desperation.

The police have run her off the sidewalk 4 days in a row now. She says they told her she cant sell her snacks there because its blocking traffic, even though she has been there for months. She is the only one that gets run off. Men sit right next to her selling knock off goods, unharmed. She is in desperation.

Her children are all in school. She has 6. Head of household is her title. Her goal is to feed her kids and make enough money to send them to school the next day. It costs her 30 dollars daily to get them to and from school. She is selling onions for 4 dollars a pound. She has no time for herself. How must she make money if she cant sell her goods? She is in desperation.

She comes to us for help. Why must the police run off the women, but leave the men on the corner? The woman must make the money for that beer he is drinking. She is angry, upset, but mostly...she is in desperation.

I give her my last 5 dollars. I don't need it. She is in desperation.