Saturdays

Guns were everywhere in Nigeria; guards outside shops, soldiers riding motorbikes with a semi automatic slung casually over their shoulders, and of course police at roadblocks. You got used to seeing lethal weapons in the hands of men who seemed to treat them as just another part of their uniform (of course, we were told that very few guns actually contained bullets - it's the thought that counts).
I haven't seen anyone wandering about openly with a gun in South Africa although there are obviously plenty around. Wellington seems to be a fairly safe town to live in but here, as in so many places, a lot of properties display a sign warning that they are protected by armed response teams (and ferocious dogs).  There's a sign at a local bar stating that as well as it being prohibited to bring your own alcohol, weapons aren't allowed either.  As a matter of course, airports have special areas for the deposit and collection of firearms that have been checked in during flights and it's not uncommon to be walking through a shopping centre and to come upon a gun shop next to the boutiques and biltong.

Wandering into Wellington on a Saturday morning is a quite different experience from the rest of the week. Just like Britain a few generations ago, there are a lot of farm workers who get paid on Fridays and look forward to the trip to town on Saturdays. The streets buzz with people who have money to spend as they do their shopping, meet friends, pick up items "laid by" and relax after a week's hard work.
Most of the workers live from week to week but at least they have a job. Others don't. I regularly see people sleeping on the street under an assortment of clothes, blankets and bits of cardboard. Some are so destitute they pick through the bins, hoping to find something to eat, drink or sell. Some, including small children, come up to me and ask for something to eat.
It's always a dilemma, whether to give money in such situations. How do I know that the children aren't controlled by an elder who takes all their money, exploiting the vulnerability that makes them more pitiable, keeping them thin so he can gain more? That was certainly the case in many areas of Jos. What about the addicts who may wish to give up but find the temptation to relapse too great when given cash?
Thankfully there's a solution in Wellington. Several churches got together to start the G-Project www.gproject.co.za . For R30 you can buy a small book of vouchers to give to those on the street. They can exchange the vouchers for a cooked meal at lunchtime or food from some of the local shops. Clothes are distributed and a garden project is under development to provide occupation, skills and produce. The aim is to reduce the number of people forced into living, sleeping or working on the streets through a holistic, developmental and realistic approach. There's talk of starting the scheme in Johannesburg. I'm thankful there's something I can now do when approached.