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Bucket Hands

If you’re not familiar with the game ‘would you rather’ here’s an explanation. A group of people basically go back and forth asking each other which scenario the other would prefer to be in. ‘ Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?’ ‘ Would you rather eat the same thing or something disgusting once a week for the rest of your life?’ ‘Would you rather have buckets permanently attached to your hands or your feet?’ A couple of months ago as I was walking down the main road of Potou on market day I was reminded of this game.  There was a man, hardly visible behind all of the hustle and bustle of market day- who had no legs.  He had constructed ‘shoes’ for his hands out of cans, sticking a bar through the top of each can ( one for each hand ) so his can ‘shoes’ worked very similarly to crutches. He would position his hands in front of him and swing his body forward to move around- dodging all of the people, horse carts, mobile vendors and cars at the same time. I approached him and gave him 1000 cfa, about the equivalent of two bucks. I suppose I didn’t expect a reaction from him, he must be having a really hard time with such a huge disability. But instead I was surprised by recieving one of the largest grins I’ve ever seen and finding myself immersed in conversation with him. Here was a man who had been put in a situation that many would view as hopeless in a place like Senegal. And yet he had invented a way to make it work, and was asking me how MY family was. I continue to enjoy conversations with Abdou every market day, and he continues to inspire me with his resourcefulness, gratitude, and persistence.

Kaya Hartley

About Kaya Hartley


Kaya lives in Utah and spends her time creating art, enjoying nature, and cooking. After opportunities to spend time in India and Europe, she has realized a passion for the excitement of travel and the challenge of cultural immersion. She served as the Vice President in her student government, organized her own non-profit organization branching off of Invisible Children, and regularly volunteers at local soup kitchens and museums.

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