by Jeanne Hambleton © 2007
NFA Leader Against Pain – Advocate
Maybe I should mention that you just might need some kleenex tissues before you start this story but please read it anyway, if only in the spirit of Goodwill to All Children. The men are big enough to look after themselves.
As folks in the UK were getting ready this morning to do some Christmas shopping an email arrived on my desktop with a warning, which said, “This email needs to circulate forever.”
How could I pass up this invitation to inquire within? The email also stated, “This is a real eye opener. A real tear jerker No prerequisites (commitments). Simply, because everyone should be reminded.“
This was sent to me by a lady from Montevideo, Uruguay called Marta. Where the pictures, shown in the email, were taken, it does not say, but I am sure it conveys a worldwide message, especially within the African continent.
Picture 1. shows European students sat at computers working, with the caption, “Does studying annoy you?”
Picture 2. reveals children, possibly from Africa, without shoes, sat on a bench and drawing their lessons in the dirt with their fingers. The caption says, “ Not them!”
Picture 3. is a happy family picture of a father with his daughter enjoying a beef burger roll with the words, “Hate veggies?”
Picture 4. is a picture of a long line of native mothers and starved children, clothed, in rags and waiting in line with a bowl for some food handouts. This caption says, “They starve from hunger!”
Picture 5. reveals the back view of a jolly obese child having fun, with a caption which reads, “On a diet?”
Picture 6. gives a close-up of a painfully thin starved child with a tape measure around the child’s matchstick thin arm. The caption referring to diet says, “They die from it!” Or the lack of any kind of diet.
Picture 7. shows a baby being cuddled by a parent revealing the lovely cuddly cheeks of a child’s bottom. This reads, “Does your parent’s care tire you?”
Picture 8. shows a sibling cuddling a child with the last bone in the baby’s spine clearly visible as she rests in sister’s arms for comfort. This caption tells us these children have no parents to grow tired of. “They don’t have any!”
Picture 9. reveals youngsters sat at a games console and states, “Bored with the same game?”
Picture 10. Shows a young unclothed child playing in the dirt with a bit of stick, next to the human skull of someone who had probably died from starvation. The caption reads, “They have no option!”
Picture 11. shows a smart new trainer with a caption which reads, “Someone got you Adidas instead of Nike?”
Picture 12. pictures the feet of a child with half of a plastic bottle cut to make the sole of a pair of sandals. The picture clearly reveals the screw top of the plastic bottle on the footwear, which is tied onto the foot with rag. This caption states, “They only have one brand?” Maybe it is cola?????
Picture 13. is of a sweet little girl in clean pyjamas snuggled up in her cosy bed. This caption reads, “Aren’t you thankful for a bed to sleep in?”
Picture 14. The final contrast picture shows a child laying in the dirt, half covered with a piece of old rag, trying to sleep, with a caption that reads, “They’d wish not to wake up!”
The closing slide asks, “Are you still complaining? Observe around you and be thankful for all that you have in this transitory lifetime…. We are fortunate to have much more than what we need to be content. Let us try not to feed this endless cycle of consumerism and immortality in which this ‘modern and advanced’ society forgets and ignores the other two thirds of our brothers and sisters. Send this information without any obligation or expectation in receiving good luck. Don’t keep it! Send it and it won’t be in vain. Let us complain less and give more!”
I imagine you feel as I do. I work hard for my dollar and I do not believe in sharing my hard earned cash with large charities who have magnificent offices, managing directors, hundreds of paid staff and devote just a fraction of their donations to their ‘good’ works. You can call me the woman with the long pockets if you like, but I want to know my money is going where it will doing some good and helping those would really need it. How to be confident about that I am not sure? In true Scorpion fashion I hate to be misled or deceived.
Quite how we can help these starving children is the burning question. I have had masses of appeals for all sorts of charities drop on my doormat in recent weeks. At least these ends up in the local hospice waste paper recycling skip and help them a little along with our papers and magazines. I looked on the Internet at our UK BBC Children in Need but could not see children in a similar situation.
SAVE THE CHILDREN
The UK Save the Children organisation has produced a Christmas shopping catalogue, on line, so should you decide to buy Christmas gifts from them you are indirectly donating while shopping, just how much remains to be seen! Perhaps this might be more acceptable – buying and giving at the same time. It is easy to look at this site to see the work they are doing and possibly shop with them. Every Christmas I seem to receive more and more cards printed by charities and sent by to me by friends.
http://www.savethechildrenshop.co.uk/home
However I should mention that if you telephone their UK number – 0844 557 5425 – instead of ordering on line, it could cost you 40p a minute as you give your details and make your mind up. Some of that money will be going to the charity.
Our doctors’ surgery is using this 0844 prefix number and getting a rake off which is a bit vexing considering how much our GPs are reported to be earning – but that is another story.
No – I am not a sales rep for any charity – just a concerned parent. No, this is not a commercial for children’s charities – it is a wake up call.
The American Save the Children website also appears to have a programme for under privileged children in developing countries, who are suffering from hunger and poverty. It seems you can also purchase festive gifts from them indirectly helping the cause.
http://www.savethechildren.org/
What you decide to do is between you and your conscience. I would however like to leave you with these thoughts.
These pictures and words certainly do bring you down to earth especially when you consider the wastage by governments the world over. I am just sorry I could not reproduce the pictures but I am sure you know the kind of scenes I mean – you must have seen them on TV from time to time. Send me your email address with the request for these pictures if you would like them forwarding.
Just consider the money all of the worldwide governments squander… it is time someone added the total figure and gave us some home truths.
These starving children, if they live, may be our next generation – our future leaders. Do you think if they survive they could be future terrorists? I am sure they will have a grudge against the world – surely they will feel the world owes them a living. This is all very sad and really makes you think. Whatever happened to the innocence of childhood?
Just imagine what we spend on consumerism not to mention what we will spend on our own children this Christmas 2007. I wonder what our children would think if we put these pictures under the Christmas tree on Dec.25 instead of a new bike, a new game toy and all the other things children of our modern world expect to receive from their parents aka Father Christmas?
What would it be like if children all over the world went without just one toy from their festive gifts in aid of the starving and poverty stricken children. It would take a lot of organizing to gather in that money and it is a huge task but it could be done – all it needs is a good website supported by reliable well known people…. even if it took until Easter to collect the money – the children would still be starving.
Where are you Bob Geldorf? Can you help us with this? Does someone know his email address? My mind is boggling at the power of the people…… How about Skinny Kids for a campaign title – that rather sums it up!
Just a thought – maybe if that £5 we would be spending on a nonsense stocking gift for someone who has everything, was replaced with a warm note telling them Christmas is for children – starving children in particular – and they would be receiving his gift money with a tax gift aid. Sorry but this has been sent to starving “Skinny Kids” who have nothing.
I would hope we would get a really warm hug for this initiative. This friend really did not need an air freshener toy for his car or a key ring. If we did not get a big hug that receiver is a Christmas Meanie…. Take it from me. We will cross him off our Christmas list in future – so there.
Sorry to be a party pooper – but someone has to do it. I will make up for it and send you some happier stories in the near future.
Take care. Jeanne.
