Don’t Talk to Strangers
April 2024
It was 1:20 pm and I was very late. I had to get home pronto because my little sister had a final exam, and she needed me to take her. She was too young to go in a taxi alone in India. Running and slowly losing my breath, I saw my bus about to leave 10 feet ahead of me. I was so close I could feel the warm exhaust fumes in my face. I was starting to lose hope.
It was then that a girl hopped on the bus but paused. One foot in, one foot out—she stalled the bus for a moment. Those precious five seconds were all I needed to catch up and jump on. She let me on, and off she went down the road. It was such a simple act, seemingly insignificant, but it had such a profound impact. It was exactly what I needed to make sure my sister wouldn’t miss her exam.
It got me thinking: when was the last time I helped a stranger out like that? Small things for me, but they could mean the world to others. Growing up in Kolkata, India, the cautionary mantra of ‘don't talk to strangers’ had been ingrained in me. Our focus on caring for our own left little room for thoughts about strangers outside our circle, despite my parents being missionaries.
Fast forward 10 years, I now work at a charity I love, where we empower survivors of human trafficking in Nepal, Cambodia, and Canada. Through my job at Ally (Ally Global Foundation), I’ve been able to directly help in projects in Nepal, Cambodia, and Laos. It is the perfect cross-section of skills I am passionate about growing — cross-cultural communication, sustainable international development, and empowering others.
But this would not be possible without the strangers who chose to pause and help me. I came to Canada for higher education and I knew absolutely nobody. But God always intervened and opened the hearts of strangers to pause and help. From small things like grocery shopping tips and how to order at Timmies to bigger things like housing and scholarships. A big one that comes to mind is when I was offered a partial scholarship for my four years at university from the Joseph Chung Scholarship. This fund was started by a Christian philanthropist after their son Joseph’s passing. Peter and Stephanie Chung were strangers to me but, by God’s grace, they paused and helped me.
Looking back it’s crazy to think that people like me are living testaments of the power of scholarships. My own partial scholarship enabled me to move my life from India to Canada so I could help make a difference in the world in my unique way. Every year, it’s a full circle moment for me when I am able to coordinate scholarships for other girls like me in Nepal and Cambodia. I know first-hand what these scholarships can unlock in people.
It’s strangers who helped strangers that made all the difference.
I realize that the cautionary mantra of 'don't talk to strangers,' while essential for safety, should not overshadow the potential for kindness and connection. In a world where a simple act of pausing to help a stranger made all the difference in my life, I challenge you to help a stranger. Whether big or small you can make a difference today.
The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:34
Sharon
sharon@ally.org
Sharon Roy works at Ally Global Foundation, a Canadian registered charity that empowers survivors of human trafficking in Nepal, Cambodia, and Canada. She volunteers on the JCS Alumni Executive Leadership Team.