Preliminary Knowledge on the Pongu Tribe - Book Report/Review Example

My Aspirations and Experiences “This must be the endpoint of the world”, my friend Harry said pointing to the mud road that diverged into several narrow wires in front of us. The tiresome journey hadn’t yet killed the poet in him, I thought. He did not bother the ‘nasty go-ahead’. He wanted to enjoy the beauty of the sunset. Admittedly, the scene as a whole was attractive, albeit the musty odor of cow dung. “Hello bros, not there; here..”; we saw someone wagging hands. “Must be John”, I said. John had been there for more than 3 hours, he said while pushing our luggage into the cart. But that was not a complaint from his part. He seemed accustomed to the living conditions of the Niger state in Nigeria, especially that of the Pongu population. The driver, obviously a tribal, smiled at us very genuinely. My experience with the indigenous community ‘Pongu of Niger’ during my internship in ‘1-Way Ministry’, a New Jersey based Christian non-profit organization altered the way I perceive the world. 1-Way Ministry’s Sow the Seed Nigeria was an extensive evangelical mission funded by HOPE International. I interned the organization’s crisis center as a voluntary receptionist and tutor for three years since 2005. The experience with Pongus taught me unforgettable life-lessons and imbued me with the true sense of gospel and practical wisdom. I was shocked to see the intensity of the problems the Pongu population face and the way they respond to issues in terms of their limited access to social privileges. I had some preliminary knowledge on the Pongu tribe. Their limited access to the outer world along with exceeding dependency on traditional beliefs has become constraints to their development. I was told by my professor that many other socio-cultural aspects like ethnic stereotyping also impeded the progress of Christian mission in this area. Since my childhood, I have had a strong will to exercise all my potential for a good cause, and that took me to the field of social work. Interaction with the Pongu gave me a clear exposure to the problems of an alienated section of the society. I dealt with many things including but not limited to the rehabilitation of delinquents, education of children, and nutritional deficiency disorders during my internship. I returned a smile to John’s driver and patted on his shoulders. He was surprised, and stared at me. Before going to bed that night I got some time to speak with John. “Mr. John, I would love to hear a little about you….” I said. He narrated his background. He had his graduation in Applied Science from Michigan State University. He had both parents and three siblings, all in Michigan. There was little connection between his education and the missionary work was engaged in. “How long have you been working among Pongu?” I continued. “More than two years now”. John told me that I could call the Pongu Stone Age people because they lead such an uncivilized life I would not believe. Although they totally depend on agriculture and fishing, they never heard about modern equipments due to their totally isolated existence. The total population of Pongu is estimated around 34,000. They did not have a particular religion, though it looked like a mixture of Islamism and local beliefs. It was by the end of my first month with Pongu, I had my unforgettable experiences that involve both positive and negative aspects. I was assigned to teach some children who were hardly twelve years old. It was not a curriculum oriented class, but anything that would civilize the children was acceptable. There was an eleven year girl child called Loomu who was very regular though not attentive. She was unusually thin and weak. At the end of every class we used to distribute some food among them. Unlike other children, Loomu used to run out of the class in haste soon after she gets her portion. I became curious about her act. I discussed this matter with my friend Harry. “We will follow her next day Michael”, Harry assured. The next day we followed her. I never knew that such a pitiful sight would be waiting for us at her home. She wanted to get rid of us. But she was too young to hide her tribulations from our eyes. When we entered her house (I am not sure if that could be termed so), she was feeding her two younger siblings who were obviously affected by polio. Apart from this, there lies someone at the other corner of the hut. We assumed that Loomu’s mother also was sick. The food she carried was not sufficient to feed them all. I couldn’t believe that a twelve year girl had been taking care of her family that was severely affected by diseases and poverty. The most amazing factor was that neither her neighbors nor the tribal leaders bothered such matters. I reported the matter to my authorities giving prime importance. However, Mr. Nichol, the person who was in charge of the region did not pay much attention to the incident. I insisted on the need of taking immediate actions, and without waiting for his confirmation provided the victims with medical care and food at my own discretion. Here began my bitter experience. My decision provoked Nichol. He threatened that he would send me back since I showed disobedience and broke the norms of compliance. He argued that preaching gospel was our prime objective among the Pongu people and all other activities were just means to achieve this goal. “What’s gospel?” I asked him. “You would have learned that before landing here, Mr. Michael” he shouted. I did not give up. I decided to go on with my rehabilitation acts despite Nichol’s warning. I knew I was doing right thing. Harry also accompanied me. Harry with the help of his girl friend in Manhattan published the incident on one of the leading magazines of New Jersey. The images of pathetic scenes from Loomu’s house fueled wide discussion among readers and throughout the organization. Final decision came from the top. Nichol was awarded a punishment transfer to some other African countries (later heard, he resigned). I got a mail from the senior manager that stated, “Irrespective of the impact of events, there is something always worth incorporating into personal life from your job environment. May God Bless You!” Admittedly, it is impossible to explain the behavioral trait of each and every individual I confronted during my job. I did not have any idea about what growing up in poverty was alike until I met Loomu. What I learned about these people disappointed me a lot. Things usually went on in their homes added to my apathy. From a modern man’s perspective, the Pongus lacked etiquette. Many of them showed emotional instability, and formed weak attachments. One of the major characteristics of my people was their poor performance and low self esteem. I remembered what Epstein stated; the quality of relationship among the low income families is always a matter, for it plays a leading role in the development of one’s social functions and social competence (12-13). The personal experience with the Pongu people surpassed my wildest expectations regarding social work. I understood that a social worker’s creativity to align his knowledge with various community based programs only can bring changes in the community. I am now capable of meeting challenges during crisis management. My experience with the Pongu population is an asset in my career as I had enough chances to encounter multiple situations and various behavioral traits. Works Cited Ebstein, Lenore. A. “Some Effects of Low Income on Children and Their Families”. Social Security Bulletin (1961). 12-17. 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