Real Hope: Building Others UpSample

The Smile Power of Maths

What number doesn’t have a Roman numeral? The correct answer will mean you have five seconds to grab as much as you can from the shelves of a small corner store in the Bronx.

Today at some stage, a primary-school-aged child may have been asked a fun maths question by Ahmed ‘Medy’ Alwan, perched on the counter of his family’s bodega. The little shop is one of the only places in the suburbs providing the basics and a few little luxuries like lollies and small toys. ‘I’ve always helped out people in the neighborhood. They’ve known me since I was a little kid. And you know, sometimes they need credit.’

Some kids go straight for the lollies, others for rice, potatoes, and oranges, thinking of their family at home. It’s a hard life for many in the streets around the little store. Medy covers the cost of the five-second shopping sprees from his pay packet.

Why would the owners of the only shop in the suburb bother? Is it for the proud parents’ smiles as they watch their children focusing on their maths classes with new vigor? Could it be the anticipation then pride in a child’s eyes as they take home enough food to feed their family that night? One of the greatest gifts we can share with each other is the gift of generously lifting one another up. Often, it’s the simplest gesture or most fleeting of moments that have the most impact.

(Maths quiz answer? 0 has no Roman numeral equivalent.)

Written by DWAYNE JEFFRIES