The return of a missing wallet: How one honest act changed my career

Found a missing wallet

Money is very tempting, after all, because of money, everyone is struggling in this crazy world to provide security and stability for their family. Therefore, if you find someone’s wallet, full of money (between 250 and 300 Euros), will you find the owner to give it back to him, or will you keep it because you think God has blessed you?

In the year 2001, I was employed as a cleaner and dishwasher in the company running both a restaurant and a cinema (Cartoons Cinema and Restaurant) in the city of Antwerp. During the cleaning hours in the three cinema halls, I found many items such as mobile phones, umbrellas, jackets, and missing wallets.

Whatever item I find, I keep it for weeks. Sometimes the owners come for the found items, and at times, they don’t come. When such things happen, I will inform the management about it, and the items will be kept. I have three mobile phones to return to their owners. The delights I found in their eyes encouraged me to be more faithful in my work.

Within my three years of service, I found three missing wallets. There was one which contained a specified amount of money (about 150 Euros), credit cards, and the code digits to cash, assuming the wallet went into the hands of a criminal. Because of one of her documents, I knew where she stayed. I went to her house, but she wasn’t there.

After work, I went to her house again, but she wasn’t there. The third time, she wasn’t still in the house, but this time, I saw a police van with two policemen in it right in front of the house. I approached the van, explained, and handed over the wallet to them. I have a lot to do, and being in her house three times without finding her was consuming my precious time.

One of the policemen gave me a thumbs-up, pleased over what I did, and seemed more surprised when he saw the code digits card, which any criminal could have used to cash out the woman’s money from her savings account. I was at work when I had a visitor. Why is this lady looking for Joel Savage? My mind was full of thoughts.

She came to me and stretched out her hand to shake. According to her, she was the one I gave her wallet to the police. “Thanks for bringing back my wallet. 

In fact, I have been very busy. You saw the police van parked in front of my house because my neighbour living upstairs has committed suicide, and the police are there to take the body,” she told me. The lady again visited me, but this time with a gift.

I am a lucky man? Why does every wallet I find always have a lot of money inside? The second wallet I found, evil came into my mind to take all the money, close to about four hundred Euros, and throw the wallet away. 

Then I asked myself – why should I take this money and throw away the valuable documents in this wallet? Whether a foreigner or a national, applying for documents costs money, and it takes over three weeks or even a month to apply for a new document.

I refused to listen to my devilish instincts and went to the man’s house to give him his wallet in a neighborhood called Kontich. When I knocked on the door and he saw me with his wallet, I understood the meaning of that surprise in his eyes. 

I am a black man, and he probably never thought a black man could be that kind. He drove me back to work in his posh car. The following week, he came to see me with an envelope. I knew what was inside. I thanked him without taking the money from him.

I had no idea that the third wallet I would  find would be a ‘miraculous wallet.’ Apart from the substantial amount of Euros, it has foreign currencies, including dollars. I couldn’t find the address of the owner, but there was a list of telephone numbers in it. 

I began to call the numbers, and the third number hit the jackpot. The woman knows the owner of the wallet. She, therefore, came together with the owner to collect the wallet from me.

Both the owner and the woman became my good friends. We went out several times to drink and eat together, without knowing that the woman would be my saviour in the future. Three years after working in the restaurant and the cinema, I lost my job because of new management and changes at the restaurant and the cinema.

I am a physically strong man, but I wept bitterly on the day I lost my job. Without any knowledge of where to begin or find a new job, I called the woman who came with the man to collect the third wallet and told her what had happened. She assured me not to worry, promising to find me a job very soon at the place where she works.

Just two weeks after losing my job, she fulfilled her promise, and I got a job at the administration where she works, and for fifteen years, I worked in a school until my pension. Kindness is never thrown away; in fact, it brings reward.

What surprises me most is that all these things I did, none appeared in any of the Belgian newspapers, but trust me, readers or Belgians would have known who Joel Savage was if hunger had driven me to the supermarket to steal a loaf of bread to eat. That would have surely appeared in the newspapers.

This is why if you sow a good seed, you’ll reap a good fruit, and if you sow a bad seed, you’ll reap a bad fruit.

  

NEW THREAT OF TERRORISM OVERSHADOWS ANTWERP

Meir, one of the busiest commercial centers in the city of Antwerp

Following the Brussels’ Zaventem airport and Metro station attacks by terrorists,  which claimed lives and caused injuries, a group of terrorists claiming to be ISIS posted a message on Facebook that: “Antwerp will never have a good sleep,” since then the Antwerp police have increased security to bring comfort to ‘Antwerpners’ amidst fear.

In today’s (8/4/2016) edition of Gazette Van Antwerpen, one of Belgium’s newspapers, reports that extra security is now in force, with heavily armed police, protecting citizens, after a mother warns the Antwerp police that her son has joined the Syrian fighters.

According to the woman, the intention of her son is to join other terrorists to target the famous commercial center Meir, City festival centers, and cinemas, to kill and destroy. Antwerp’s police boss Wouter Bruyns has confirmed the story.

The police have therefore issued a warning to everyone to keep away from Meir, one of the busiest shopping centers in Antwerp, and entertainment spots to avoid any bloodshed. 

Even though the mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever, is working hand in hand with the police, to provide extra security throughout the city, many people are still afraid, because of the violent and unpredictable nature of the terrorists.

Already, the Belgian government has lost millions of revenue, following the closure of the Zaventem airport for a number of days, to restore the badly affected halls at the airport. 

Now that activities at Meir, one of the busiest commercial centers in the city has been halted, no one can predict  how bad it’s going to affect Belgium’s economy or the Province of Antwerp.

A BEGGAR HAS CHOICE IN THIS TIME OF CRISIS

A beggar


A beggar is someone who can't help himself. He or she is financially handicapped. Therefore, to fight for his survival means to beg for a living. Beggars are all over the world, but are much more common in Third World Countries. 

They are often seen in busy places, such as shopping centers, train stations, and markets.

I first thought that due to poverty, that is the reason a lot of beggars were mostly seen in Third World Countries, but now in advanced countries, beggars are commonly seen everywhere. 

The craving to satisfy drug demand by junkies and other social problems has brought so many people to the streets in Europe as beggars.

I wasn't expecting to see someone opening a trash container in Europe, to look for bread or any food that could satisfy him and eat. But I have seen it a couple of times. 

Roofless people, dejected and rejected by society, live on food thrown into refuse containers at the supermarkets.

A beggar has no choice, they say, but sometimes circumstances beyond their control force them to reject or accept. Another point is that since a beggar has no choice doesn't mean that anyone can give them something bad as a gift.

At the central train station in Antwerp, a beggar asked for money, and he was given 70 cents. Right in front of the one who gave him the money, he said, "This is nothing, a cup of coffee costs 2 euros". 

Then he walked away. The man who gave him the money wasn't happy with the statement the beggar made.

However, in this time of crisis, people must understand the plight of beggars. The beautiful part of life is not only going on holidays, drinking and eating, or visiting families. 

There is also joy in helping others. Giving more than receiving not only gives comfort but also a blessing.   

SFINKS FESTIVAL (2011) : CRISS-CROSS RHYTHM THAT EXPLODES WITH HAPPINESS

The best of the Sfinks festival


Sfinks Festival is one of the numerous summer festivals in Belgium, yearly hosted in Boechout, a community on the outskirts of Antwerp. The festival has been running continuously for over three decades.

What has made the festival famous is the idea of pulling musicians from different countries all over the world to bring them under one roof in Antwerp to entertain the people, hence the term "Mixed Sfinks Festival".

Sfinks festival is a wonderful place to have fun during the summer holidays. With different melodies and a criss-cross rhythm, which explodes with happiness, the festival has been one of the best summer festivals in Belgium.

This year's festival (2011), as usual, is made up of musicians from all walks of life. But one musician who is not a stranger to this festival, and keeps on appearing many times, is the Ivorian reggae star Alpha Blondy and The Solar System. It's like history repeating itself. Alpha plays again this year.

The program for this year's Mixed Sfinks Festival is as follows. The festival opens on July 29 and closes on July 31, 2011.

Vrijdag 29 Juli
Cabaña
19.30: Muzika Agresija
Clubterrein
18.00: Awza
Concerttent
17.00: Robert Soko
19.30: Stereo Partizan
21.00: Emir Kusturica & The no smoking Orchestra
23.00: Robert Soko

Open Air
19.00, 21.00: Fasocirque

Zaterdag 30 Juli
Cabaña
15.00: Soulshakers
15.00: Bugalu Sound

Clubtent
14.00: Awza
16.00: Ayarkhaan
18.00: Sooeun Kwak
20.00: Ghalia Benali - Romeo & Leila
22.30: Les Etoiles du Ballet Royal du Cambodge

Clubterrein
19.00: Awza
Concerttent
13.00: Maguaré
15.00: Ayfer Düzdas
17.00: Lëk Sèn
19.00: Rubén Blades
21.00: Alpha Blondy
23.30: Systema Solar
o1.00: Rebel Up!
o2.30: DJ Munchi & VJ M

Kidz
14.00: Les Gotipuas
Open Air
12.30, 15.30, 18.00: Dhols of Jaipur
14.30, 16.30, 20.30: Fasocirque
18.30: Les Gotipuas

Zondag 31 Juli

Cabaña
15.00: DJ MPS Pilot
15:00: DJ Polyesta
Clubtent
14.00: Trio Windstreken & Kamal Hors
16.00: Mamer
18.00: Dikanda
20.00: Faiz Ali Faiz
Clubterrein
12.30, 17.00: Awza
Concerttent
13.00: Joaquin Diaz
15.00: Khaira Arby
17.00: Bomba Estéreo
19.00: Hindi Zahra
21.00: AfroCubism
Kidz
14.00: Les Gotipuas
Open Air
12.00, 14.30, 20.30: Fasocirque
16.30: Awza
18.30: Les Gotipuas

MOSQUES BUILDING IN EUROPE AND AMERICA MUST COME TO AN END

The mosque: a place of prayer, and where all evil plans are hatched



“When you go to Rome, you do what the Romans do.” This statement doesn’t mean any discrimination or racism in any way. It simply means that the country belongs to the Romans. 


In this case, they make their laws and rules, so every abiding citizen, including foreigners, must obey these laws. As easy for Christians to understand this law, some religious sect takes it as discriminatory and racist.

I do agree with the leader of the “Vlaams Belang Party”, Philip De Winter, in Belgium, when protesting against the building of a central mosque in Antwerp. 

The reason is simple and logical. First of all, “Belgium is a country that belongs to the Belgians; therefore, they have to make their own rules and laws, not foreigners. These rules and laws must be obeyed, including foreigners.

Point number two, an investigation has revealed that most of the terrorism plans are hatched in mosques. It would be recalled in the political history of Ghana that when J. J. Rawlings came to power as a Flight-Lieutenant, the first thing he did was to demolish the mosque in central Accra, because that was the center of all evil activities by so-called Islamic worshippers. The place is now a central car parking place.

Point number three, if any Belgian living in an Arab land requests permission to build a cathedral or church in that country, the permit is not only going to be denied but also, but he may also serve a prison sentence for speaking about Christianity in an Arab land. 

So why should the West or America always permit the building of mosques in their countries? Are they afraid of Muslims? I can’t simply understand.

Once I was walking along Pothoekstraat in Antwerp and saw a Belgian driving. He stopped and called a Moroccan and requested the direction of a street he was looking for. I was shocked at what I saw. 

Instead of the Moroccan telling him that I don’t know the street or here is the street, he went closer to the driver and spat on his face. With saliva full on his face, the Belgian drove his car away. What is the sense in this?

Being strict and implementing laws and rules against foreigners doesn’t give room for one to be called a racist, but it is one of the measures to reduce crime and theft in a society. 

Belgians must wake up, else one day they will see themselves burning in a fire they did not start. Problems are solved diplomatically. There is no room for violence anywhere in this world as a means of solving a problem.

CONINCKPLEIN IN ANTWERP, STILL DRUG PEDDLING NEIGHBORHOOD

The new library, 'Permerke,', 'Permerke,' has transformed Coninckplein in Antwerp.Antwerp.


Coninckplein, a neighborhood within the municipal zone of 2060 in Antwerp, has been a center of all notorious and nefarious activities in the past. 


Just an hour's investigation and survey of the area on Saturday, November 20, 2010, revealed that the place has increased in its criminal activities more than ever.

Drug peddlers, criminals, scavengers, alcoholics, and thieves have chosen Coninckplein as their haven or paradise. 

Unfortunately, the modern library built a few years ago to transform the place is not yielding any good results for the continually terrorized neighborhood.

Junkies, alcoholics, the homeless, homeless, and criminals in possession of stolen items and fake jewels interrupt decent people and pedestrians with their fake ornaments, ornaments, forcing them to buy. 

People who are not interested in buying stolen items and fake ornaments can't even secure their freedom easily. It can take them minutes to break free from the frustrated criminals.

Coninckplein has been a center of concern for every administration of the past and present of elected mayors of Antwerp. Unfortunately, nothing has been achieved so far. 

One thing I have observed so far is that any time the police in Antwerp set up a "Police Mobile Office" at the place, the activities of the criminals and drug peddling dwindle or subside. They only resurface when the police move away.

As a matter of fact, another issue causing more problems within the vicinity is the sale of alcohol by many cafes and alcohol shops in the area. 

Coninckplein is under such a state that the mayor of Antwerp, Patrick Janssens, should realize that he has a big responsibility to make the place safe, hanging on his shoulders.

Antwerp needs citizen action for neighborhood safety. A community strategy must be enforced to improve the quality of life. Coninckplein really needs a facelift. Facelift. 

If necessary, necessary, all the alcohol and cafes brewing crime and drug peddling in the area must be permanently shut down.

A BELGIAN MURDERS HIS AFRICAN WIFE

Problems in relationships or marriages are very common.



What provoked a Belgian to the extent of killing his Black wife? This was the question on the lips of the African community in Antwerp. The shocking murder of Evelyn Amarim-Vanacker, a 31-year-old mother of two, led to a peaceful demonstration recently.


Evelyn, a native of the Anioma local government in the Delta State of Nigeria, was reported to have been strangled to death by her husband at their home on the 2nd of March 2009. According to sources, the murder took place while the children of the deceased, aged 4 and 1, respectively, were sleeping in one of the rooms upstairs.

After the brutal murder, the husband took the lifeless body of his wife into the boot of his car and drove 100 kilometers to dump the body in an open field by the border between France and Belgium, where the French police discovered the body the next day.

After committing the brutal crime, Mr. Vanacker reported to the Belgian police that his wife was missing. After a heavy interrogation that followed, he broke down and confessed to the killing of his wife. 

The motive behind the murder is not clear, but according to sources, there was no more happiness in the marriage after five years. Constant quarrels and exchanges of words were bringing the marriage almost to its knees when this occurred.

The question is, how would the Belgian police handle this case? Especially in Antwerp, where such cases are not seriously dealt with. This has given license to many Belgians to treat foreigners, especially Africans, the way they like.

Many Africans are angry with the African ambassadors sent overseas. "They don't do anything to protect us; all they care about is corruption and greed. Europeans know that they are weak, so they take advantage of this to kill us," said one Nigerian who spoke to me about the killing of Avelyn.

Murdered Immigrant in Antwerp, family gets no compensation

Oulematu, the Malian babysitter who was murdered with the child The family of Oulematou Niangadou, the Malian babysitter, shot and killed by Hans Van Themsche in Antwerp, Belgium, will not be compensated. The commission of financial aids for victims of criminal acts announced in an official statement given to the press that the Belgian Justice Ministry decided to compensate the victims 71,500 euros,  but the court challenged the compensation to the Malian woman, owing to the fact that the victim was illegally staying in Belgium. The victim came in with a visa that has since expired. It will be recalled that in 2007, racist student Themsche bought a rifle at 500 euros from a shop in Antwerp, to kill people of foreign origin. Unfortunately, his gun didn't take away the Malian immigrant, but a poor, innocent Belgian child, the victim was babysitting.  His bullet also struck a Turkish woman sitting on a bench nearby, but she survived. The full story about this ruthless and senseless killing can be read in my book called "An African in Antwerp." In the book, I accused both the mayor of Antwerp, Mr. Janssens, and the police of being responsible for the killing of this poor immigrant. You need to live in Antwerp as a foreigner before you will know or understand what I'm talking about. How could they like foreigners when they don't even like themselves? When you are speaking French at some Flemish institutions, you can be confronted and questioned about the reason you are speaking French instead of Flemish.  Unbelievable. What is wrong with it when one speaks a different language spoken by its own nationals? That is Antwerp. Kris Luyckx, the advocate for the victim's family, hopes that the rules on compensation will be amended and points to previous changes brought in to allow victims of human trafficking to get compensation from the commission.

AN AFRICAN IN ANTWERP, A resident's story

The tale of an African in Belgium


"I want the Belgian authorities to know that the media have failed to address the crime that is perpetrated on foreigners. I will publish it," -Joel Savage.


The Belgium-based African journalist Joel Savage has published a pocket-sized book, An African in Antwerp. It’s his true life experience and a personal encounter about how he lives in a city where one in three adults is known to vote for the Extreme Right Party. 

It is also in Antwerp where Ouleymatou, the African nanny, was gunned down with the toddler under her care in broad daylight in a racist attack by Hans Van Themsche in May 2006. Joel Savage’s pocketbook is handy, small, and easy to read. An hour of good reading.

An African in Antwerp explains in detail how immigrants are systematically abused and blackmailed by landlords, employers, and even friends. We’re under constant threat, and the Police do very little to help. 

It reminds me of the number of mixed-race couples I have known where African men are under constant pressure… “don’t do this or I will call the Police,” And in Europe.

 

The police come, every time they’re called, because if something really happens, they never want to be accused of negligence. And in any encounter with the police, the first thing they ask for is your Identification documents.

While Africans demand treatment with dignity in Europe, the same is still tricky in Africa. And honestly, a collective good treatment in foreign lands will remain a tricky issue as long as human rights issues are not dealt with decisively in Africa. 

In my opinion, the continued racism in Europe, America, and Australia has direct roots in Africa, and the day five nations like Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, and Congo will raise the dignity of their citizens to be at par with an acceptable international level, the world will be forced to respect Africa.

So in Joel’s book, it's very interesting to read how honesty and hard work have helped him thrive in a society that offers little to its black population. Belgium is a country traumatized by the loss of its colonial power in Congo. 

It was a painful divorce that the tiny European kingdom was not able to cope with. They like their selective memories of their past with the Congo, how they brought civilization to Africa. But not how King Leopold III annexed a country as big as the whole of Western Europe and one of the richest in the world, to his personal wealth portfolio.

The tyranny, killing, and raping of African women is not part of that good old past. Last year, the Belgian award-winning film producer Georges Kamanayo, himself a product of a Belgian colonial man in Africa, exclaimed that his picture and many other mixed children like him are missing in the beautiful family album.

 

The family album that Belgium so proudly presents everywhere is of a happy family. This year, the country is preparing to remember the World Expo held in Brussels in 1958. But man, this is 2008, and Africa has long gained independence. Joel Savage’s book is available in African shops in Belgium.

The updated book is now published in America as 'Little Boygium-Wonderful experience.' 

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Boygium-Experience-Joel-Savage-ebook/dp/B013SJ7DCW?