Banana Peels

Every day here in eastern Niger I am faced with people asking for food, money, gifts and even requests for marriage. Many of the requests are asked in fun and are just testing the waters without expectation or true need. But many of the requests are completely legitimate I am I able to indulge a couple of them and others I just get annoyed by. However what really stirs my heart is when I am reminded of the people who are not asking. Here is just one simple example:

When we were finished eating our bananas at the market in Diffa we left our peels on the ground (since there are no garbage cans) with the rest of the trash that is everywhere and a young boy walked quietly by, inconspicuously picked up the peels and preceded to lick them behind a nearby car. Of course we gave him our one remaining banana but a scene like this makes me think twice about the hardships a boy may be silently facing behind a relatively healthy looking body.