Save the Children

I wrote this plea today to my grandfather's charitable foundation. I don't imagine that they will support my desires because it is really outside of the scope of the foundation. But I thought I could share it here with you and maybe it could have some impact for good. Thanks for reading!

For as long as I can remember I have felt a special place in my heart for the children of Africa. I recall when I was a young girl I watched a presentation on the television calling for donations for children in Africa. These children were dying because they did not have access to everyday needs we take for granted such as clean drinking water, adequate food, and vaccinations. I asked my father if I could sponsor a child for my Christmas gift, and he told me that I could, but because of the expense I would not be able to receive any other gifts that year. Out of childish selfishness, I chose not to sponsor a child that year and it has been one of my great regrets.

I recognize the mission of the foundation is to primarily serve the community of Nova Scotia. I am grateful for the Foundation and the good it is able to do. But I cannot ignore the fact that impoverished children outside of our province are needlessly dying. In the immortal words of Mother Theresa, "It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." We have been blessed with an over-abundance in North America. It is our responsibility to not only serve our community, but go beyond where we can literally save children's lives.

It has been easy for me in the past to ignore problems happening around the world in these far off countries because they are so far removed from us. But after researching and studying the atrocities happening in these countries, I cannot ignore the problems any more. It is common to hear parents say to their children “you better eat all of that food on your plate, don't you know that there are children starving in Africa?” What many parents do not realize, however, is that there are ways to directly and meaningfully change that situation. We can end starvation for individual children in Africa, and they will be grateful for the rest of their healthy lives. It is not enough to think about the horrible things going on in the world, we must act now.

Efforts to end hunger and worldwide poverty would be a great use of the Foundation's money. With comparatively small donations we can effect real change in the lives of individual children, directly relieving their suffering and giving them a chance at life. Martin Luther King, Jr. has said, “The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization.... The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty."

Contrary to what my father believed those many years ago, it is not that expensive to provide basic life-saving needs to children who will otherwise die. In Africa there are currently 150,000 children dying each month of malaria. For the cost of $5 per child, insecticide-treated mosquito nets can be bought from the Red Cross. Goats, pigs, or chickens can be bought so that communities in need are able to sustain themselves. It is also possible to make one time purchases of seeds and tools at a cost of $40 per family, so that they are able to use these to tools to provide for themselves.

I do understand that third world countries are out of the current scope of the Foundation, but I believe that we can have a bigger impact with our dollars in these countries than may be possible in Nova Scotia.

There is also the Coady Institute, a local organization, that Gary mentioned to me that might be more in harmony with the mission of the Foundation. Established by St. Francis Xavier University in 1959, the Coady International Institute works with innovative people and organizations to create effective and practical solutions to reduce global poverty and injustice. The Coady Institute accomplishes this through leadership education, action partnerships, and initiatives to help young Canadians become active global citizens. I believe the benefits of supporting the Coady Institute would bring long lasting changes to the communities I am desiring to help.

Thank you for your time and your commitment to our family and the willingness to examine the causes that I believe in.