When you're faced with poverty

As a person who is clearly foreign with white skin in a country where white skin is idolized and cherished it is most difficult to know the situation of those who live with nothing in comparison to my own personal background. I am definitely not individually wealthy, but I am coming from a family where I never had to worry if the heating bill would be paid or there would be food in the cupboard. This put me in a constant predicament. Tonight I am staying in Chennai with a social activist who is really changing peoples perception and motivating them to support others from different castes and classes. She stays in a third floor apartment in one district of this enormous city. There are three fashion design students taking courses and staying with her and one boy she sponsored to get his bachelor's in social work who frequents the residence. These kids are like my Indian brothers and sisters. We talk about social issues, read together, make jewelry and design fashions, cook, wash clothes and eat. They are all originally coming from rural villages, but now they can get around in the city with basic social interaction skills. Tonight after dinner and creating some new hairstyles we were enjoying the breeze on the balcony. One girls said she wanted to show me something so I went and we crossed the apartment, looked out the barred window and saw about 8 or 9 men sleeping on the roof of a building next door that is being constructed. These men are sleeping on cardboard boxes. All their belongings fill half a burlap sack. They work every day from 6am to 10 pm making 100 rupees per day. These men are my neighbors. They earn 2 dollars per day. How can you eat three meals, support your wife and young child with these wages. We know their contractors and managers are living in nice houses with air conditioning, they are able to feed their children 3 meals a day and send them to school. Their wives are decorated with silk embroidered sarees and gold jewelry but they have no concern for the people they depend on for this lifestyle. The coolie workers who are fulfilling the managers tasks can't defend themselves or protest this wage and lifestyle. If they protest the 100 rupee per day salary with disappear from their pocket and another eager oppressed person will come fill their place. Not being able to support your family but having your mouth glued shut so you can't speak about it, and your hands tied together during your daily labor, this is why i wake up everyday and bear the heat and pollution. This is why i meet officials and try to motivate students and leaders. This is why the Indian people can't bring about this change themselves.