The Constant Gardener

I saw this tonight with E&K... I guess I was prepared for what I was to see from what I'd heard from others who'd seen it already. A truly moving film, which really opens your eyes to the realities of the situation in Africa, both past and present. What I don't understand is how a continent as stunningly beautiful as Africa can be so full of evil and corruption and at the hands of manipulating companies taking advantage of its complete vulnerability. It's been a while since I cried at a film, but I couldn't help myself when they had to leave the little kid behind who, as the pilot said, may, or may not, find her way to a refugee camp. Most likely not.

It does make you stop and think what we do (or don't do) as individuals to help those strucken by poverty and disease in countries polluted with corruption. Today I bought cards from Oxfam, but is that enough? I feel it is far to easy to forget that part of the world and its problems, worring about trivial annoyances that in reality have no importance whatsoever. Like what I will buy so-and-so for Christmas. It's far too easy to watch the film and walk out of the cinema and forget. It's far too easy to buy charity Christmas cards and think that's enough. I don't know what we (I) can do, but there must be more we can do.