Reality of Economics

I rarely hear news from the outside world, meaning the western world, while here in Uganda. But, recently I heard that the economy is still declining in the U.S. I've heard that there is much concern over this. I guess many people are stressed over their declining lifestyles. Maybe having to miss driving to the pool every day over the summer was too much to bear or not be able to eat out every night is a nightmare. OK, so I'm being a little sarcastic. I know that there are many living in poverty in the U.S. that are really concerned that their next step maybe homelessness if things don't improve.
However, I think that maybe this will be a wake up call to the U.S. as to the condition of most of the developing world. Most people in the developing world have lived for decades wondering where their next meal was coming from. I see these dehumanizing conditions every day in the slum where I work. Most people eat only one meal a day and it's not a cheeseburger and fries. Most of the children don't even know what these foods are. They've never seen a television or rode in a car. The majority will never have a chance to attend school.
These families live in rooms that are 12ft x 12ft. Can you imagine 8-12 people living in one room for their entire lives? There is no running water. Most don't even have toilets. I realized how closely people are living as animals the other day when I had spent the night at someone's house and was having to pee in the grass behind a building as hidden from view of others as I could find. Luckily, I didn't have to do anything except pee. For more serious bathroom business, people resort to using plastic shopping bags which they later dispose of in various places around the slum. Others have lived in this condition for so long that they don't even bother to try to be discreet. They just use the trenches in the alleys running between houses.
But, a lesson in all this: people still hold on to their faith and somehow keep their joy. That's one of the things I love about this slum. Despite the harsh reality of their conditions, people have a lot of love to share.