FEEDING THE WORLD, ONE CHILD AT A TIME
The true meaning of "charity" ranges from 'generous actions' to 'an act or work' or' feeling or christian love. It has different meanings to each person you would ask, but has generally been coupled together with charities for children or the elderly. Charity is often tied directly to giving in our thesaurus minds. Reference to charity are all through the Bible, the Koran, and Tanakh (tzedakah). Charity exists in every culture and language and belief. It is a pure form of humanism.
Smaller countries are usually not classified as "Industrialized Nations" and are generally underdeveloped areas that are grappling with ways to grow their economy without destroying their culture. As one would imagine, very little manufacturing, mostly small business. People and children especially are left in vulnerable positions. Usually to wind up begging or picking trash to feed themselves. Squatter areas they are called. Folks who have been starving out in the provinces (the countryside) coming to the city to have a little better chance of surviving. Some little homes are built on half a sidewalk width made of sticks of wood and old sheet metal found here and there. The City of Cebu is trying to cope with it as are all the cities. They are building places for the people to live and tearing down the shacks that make the city look not so desolate. But here we are, back at the "E" word! Education!!! We have seen a father on TV crying because he could not feed his 13 children!! What do they do while a new generation is born and raised. Perhaps the new generation will be happy peddling a bicycle (with a sidecar for 2 people) for 8 pesos each ride. The little boys and girls have to help with the living rations. Some children look for money anyway they can to help the family survive, from begging to out and out stealing to using their bodies to make a few pesos. Not simply in terms of hundreds, but that of thousands and thousands of children begging, starving. This small nation alone stands by an estimate of 1.5 million homeless children. What is the world total? Can we ever reach a goal? We can certainly try. We have to try for the sake of humanity.
Having lived in America and here as well, I think of the ease with which it is to become complacent to the needs of the rest of the world. Our cupboards are stocked, our refrigerator is stocked, our freezer is stocked, our stomachs are stocked. American life has been good to us and we have worked hard for it. The economy has produced a nation, (yes, with poverty as well) that is very lucky with the things that it has. America has excellent education standards, parents who for the most part encourage their children to use it, well paying jobs and a basically good retirement system that is currently still working.
Like my "Children of Despair" poem says, what if there is no table to put food, no chair to sit? What if there is no refrigerator or freezer or cupboard? What then? What if our stomachs were shrunk to the size of small teacups, but our bodies craved the nourishment to go on?? What would we do? This is worse than prison because you at least get food in the prison. What if your clothes are rags and your body is filthy and your only bath is the rain, and you are tapping on the glass of opportunity asking for the scraps left on someones plate. Our hearts MUST feel such a sadness for them.
Won't you please help us help them in their quest for life.
http://www.povertyschild.com
