Have you ever thought about how YOU could change the world? How YOU could make the world a better place? Here at International Blessings, that is what we strive for. We are here to CHANGE THE WORLD. But we need your help! Will you join us in this mission? If you haven’t done so, please subscribe here.
22,000 children die every day from poverty
1.1 billion people have inadequate access to water
2.6 billion don’t have clean water
Diarrhea kills 1.8 million children a year
1 out of 2 children live in poverty
15 million children lose their parents to HIV/AIDS
REALLY PEOPLE! Why are these the facts of today? Why are SO MANY children suffering and dying, while we are living in surplus. Why are we not using our surplus to CHANGE THE WORLD?
But we don’t think of it as surplus, isn’t it normal to have shelves of food, to have clean water always available, to have a closet of clothes. . .
My purpose is NOT to make you feel guilty, but to make you REACT.
How do these facts make you feel? Angry, sad, indifferent. It is important for these statistics to have some sort of an emotional impact on you. What if your child was one of those statistics? Would you care more? If we work to prevent those numbers, just think how many fewer tears would be cried, how many more smiles would turn to laughs. The world will ONLY change if we are willing to care. What can you do today, to care?
Will you PRAY?
Will you GIVE?
Will you GO?
Will you LOVE?
Lets Change the World
There are so many possibilities out there. What if you prayed for our leaders? What if you treated a homeless man to dinner? What if you visited sick children in the hospital? What if you smiled more, smiling is contagious? The options are endless. Just think, if every person did just one act of kindness a week, how different the world would be.
A New Year has started. What will YOU do to MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
You have the ability to IMPACT the WORLD. But first, you must believe, and then you must act.
Share below, how YOU can CHANGE THE WORLD!
Too many people don’t take notice of these types of facts.
If you don’t help them realize, they will never know.
Everyone needs to help make a difference in the world, yet few actually take steps to do so.
Powerful.
Hi Sarah – my concern about donating cash is that it doesn’t actually get to the kids. Do you know if the money for a sponsored child actually gets there? I’ve heard reports in the past that a mere fraction makes it to the child or their family, while the bulk of any donations goes to supporting the charity asking for the donation and their staff.
I guess there would be no money without the organising charity and maybe I’m using it as an excuse to block it out?
Last year while visiting Fiji, we took books, pencils and supplies to a local school and they loved it. That was very cool and the sense of helping was great. If I felt the same way about sponsoring a child, I would.
As for local kindness – yep, I’m, 100% behind that 🙂
Donating money is very difficult for me as well. I have to be familiar with the organization and have full trust that they are being responsible with those funds. Most organizations will have their financials public and will clearly show what percentage goes where. For instance, Compassion International (http://www.compassion.com/about/financial.htm) shows 84.3% going toward program activities. Which I would like to see that in at least the lower 90’s, but it does take money to keep a organization like this running. Plus, they are changing lives. Compassion reaches thousands of children that otherwise would of been forgotten, and for $38 a month per child. Thats still pretty amazing. Another organization that I HIGHLY recommend is Adventures in Missions (http://adventures.org). I have literally traveled the world with them, and its the real deal, $2 a day for food, living in tents, etc. THANKS for the comment.
Thanks Sarah – for the follow up and links. Nice to know that some “urban myths” are exactly that.
Sarah, what a great article. We travel to Belize every year and take with us supplies for school children. I think your doing great work here.
Wow…..this post is eye-opening. It’s the realistic stats that we never want to face because, after all, we live in our own little world and we don’t see children dying of diarrhea. Out of sight, out of mind. I think people don’t do anything because they don’t feel that their one act of kindness will make much difference in the overall outcome. It seems so large a problem, it’s like, how do we tackle 22M kids dying?? It’s overwhelming. But I know that NOT doing anything isn’t going to make it better. But we can at least make a dent in the world by doing something like you suggested: buying a homeless person a meal….visiting sick kids in the hospital….This would be a great idea to help get my young boys involved, too. Thanks for the reminder that every little bit helps!!
I agree, when I was overseas particularly in Africa, the desperation was so overwhelming. How could I really make a difference, when there was so much need. But to see a child’s face light up when you smile at him or give her a hug, was life changing for me! It can be a sad world out there, but if we all do something, we can make the world a better place! Thank you.
What a beautiful and motivating article. It’s the little things we can do to help make a difference. If I just buy one homeless person a warm meal or a bottle of water (rather than give them money that will be spent who knows where), I feel that I am doing my part. Thank you for this.
Yes, its crazy isn’t it. That one small act of kindness could change someone’s life. But its so true, and so exciting to hear those stories even if you may never know how your act of kindness affected someone. And totally agree on not giving out money, not to say I haven’t, but I have to feel pretty darn strongly about doing that!