For fewer stabbings in London. For Iderval Da Silva and His Better World

A 46-year old man parks his moped and enters the coffee shop with a wide smile on his face, which could lighten the whole world.  His name is Iderval and he is always happy, positive, and full of infectious joyfulness. Today, however,  he seems even happier than usual. A project that he has put so much heart into is finally gaining shape in London, the city that has been his home for three months now. He is about to meet with some of “his” children (nine in all) and cannot wait to give them the t-shirts he has painted for them with his own hand, with so much love, and so much unshakeable hope for a better world! His children – his latest children, since he already has a few thousand more: poor children that he has taken off the streets, to whom he has given joy and a different path in life than that of drugs, violence, theft, or murder…

Yet little does he know, while he is heading towards the coffee shop, that his dreams will be cut short so fast, so abruptly, so terribly, so tragically, at the hands of some of the very people for whose welfare he has fought and sacrificed his entire life. 

A MOPED AND A DREAM

At a first glance, Iderval seems to be just another Uber Eats delivery guy who criss-crosses London’s streets every day. However, his story, the dream that brightens his eyes, the tireless enthusiasm that puts a smile on the face of every person he meets – must simply be handed down in one way or another, because they could change so many lives for the better, since they provide a solution that is tangible, attainable, and relatively easy to achieve, for “A Better World” (no matter how utopic this project’s name would sound – a project for which this man has worked tirelessly, night and day, for decades). 

A former fighter in the Brazilian army and a man who has been practicing Capoeira (a Brazilian martial art that combines self-defence, acrobatics, dancing, instrumental music, and singing), Iderval has a dream: a better world. His job with Uber Eats is only a temporary solution that enables him to collect the funds he needs to achieve his goal. He has already implemented the project in Brazil, Portugal, and Germany and he hopes to do the same in the UK. Aiming at taking as many poor young people off the streets and giving them free classes in martial arts, musical instruments, football, art, and others, he intends to thus keep them away from the gloomy and hopeless future that they are condemned to. 

THE DREAM TAKES SHAPE

He has already managed to find a venue in London where he can do this for a few hours every Sunday; and he has already found nine children between 9 and 12, who cannot wait for the classes to begin. He has sent the complete project file to the Wandsworth Council- hoping to soon receive the necessary funds -and he will start the first lessons the very next day. He will teach Capoeira, drums, and other musical instruments; he has also persuaded a football coach friend to join him in the teaching project and he is now looking forward to meet the children to whom he hopes to provide a life that is better than what they have had so far, through this project.

How could he not be happy?

Since everything is finally falling into place!…

A HAMMER AND A BROKEN DREAM

While the children are cheerfully hugging him and they all take pictures in their new t-shirts, someone comes in to tell him that a group of young men are trying to steal his moped. He rushes out and starts fighting with the young men, who launch themselves savagely at him. But one of them hits him with a hammer in the head…

Iderval dies in the hospital three days later. His attackers all scattered away without stealing anything. They are young people who may have not ended up as they have, had they had someone like him in their lives…

The other youngsters, who would have had the chance to start a new life the next day, are sitting now in the coffee shop with stunned looks, while their tears fall down the t-shirts that had been painted for them with so much love. A stranger had come into their lives out of nowhere, spreading light, joy, love, and meaningfulness – things that they had been robbed of until then – but here they are, left again in the darkness and surrounded by the lack of love that they keep sinking into, day by day, more and more.

DEATH WALKS FREELY AROUND THE STREETS OF LONDON

Iderval was killed a few metres away from the place where Ian Tomlin, a 46-year old boxer also met a brutal death -he had done nothing but protest before a group of young people who were exchanging drugs in front of his children.

I am writing these lines today, sitting between the crosses of these two people – after the shock I had a few days ago as I was taking my children to the playground, when I saw in front of us the police cars, the ambulance, and the barricade tapes.  Right next to the playground, a man had been stabbed in broad daylight, shortly before we had arrived on site.  

This happens in the London of the year 2019, in the London we all love so much, but where, as it were, you are afraid when you take your children to the supermarket in front of which two innocent people were killed in broad daylight, or to the playground next to which another man was killed at around 2:45 p.m., while killers are still at large, perhaps passing by at this very moment, as I am writing this…  

This happens in Battersea, less than a mile away from Prince George’s school, in an area where houses cost at least ₤1 million. It happens in an area that is 15-20 minutes’ walk from Buckingham Palace.

It happens in a city where 84 people were stabbed so far this year (basically one hears of a murder at least once in every three days). In July they even stabbed an eight-month pregnant woman! whose child lived only for a few more days…

Last year witnessed the highest number of murders of the current decade: 132 dead, of whom 76 stabbed, 15 shot, and 41 murdered in other ways. And these statistics only mention the deceased persons, who knows how many incidents, ended only with wounds, actually take place?

How far will this go? There is such a need for projects like the one Iderval had started, stopped so abruptly, cut off so tragically! Such initiatives are needed today more than ever, in this city where violence is growing with every passing day, despite all the #knifefree -type campaigns…

WHY AM I WRITING THESE LINES?

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex’s face comes to mind. At a very young age, she courageously wrote a couple of letters which, much to her surprise, were answered. The whole event led up to a change in the world – a small change, but nevertheless a real one. In my turn, I am writing these lines in the same (perhaps naïve) hope that someone will answer me. I am writing on behalf of Iderval Da Silva, hoping that these words will reach someone who could carry his dream forward… Perhaps the Mayor of London, who is clearly concerned with what happens these days; perhaps the members of the Royal Family – Prince Charles, who has been successfully involved in so many charitable causes, Prince William, and Prince Henry, who could be examples to such young people; perhaps the Duchess herself, who could develop a project that is so noble and at the same time pragmatic, concrete, and effective. Perhaps people living in this city, who have the capacity to manage such a project successfully, even if the problem does not seem to affect them directly at present, or they may not think that it is possible that they or members of their families could ever be attacked… Yet if an innocent person is stabbed just a few metres away from you, you will inevitably feel the burden of that act, too. The air itself changes, everything changes… and London’s air has become more and more difficult to breathe in recent months (and that is not because of pollution). I pray that these lines reach those to whom God will grant the power, the courage, and the wisdom to stop the death that walks around the streets of London with a knife in her hand, killing pregnant mothers and innocent infants…

A LOVE THAT IS TOO STRONG TO DIE

I am writing these lines crying Iderval’s un-cried tears, but harbouring the same faith he had: that things will not stay this way, that his dream is attainable, that there is more love than hatred out in the streets where the only thing that these lost children need is a helping hand and a bit of love in order to build, help, comfort, and heal, instead of killing. I am writing on his behalf, wishing to do something instead of just complaining about it, just as he did ; wishing, just as he did, to build a better world; and believing, just as he did, that it is up to every one of us to make it so. 

I also have faith in the fact that these lines will eventually reach those who can take his dream forward – because his love was too great to die hit by a hammer in the head.