But I believe we live in a world where no one needs to suffer from malnutrition and starvation or from the disease that unsanitary water inevitably brings. I believe that there is enough food, work, jobs, and money to go around. Many less privileged nations have already begun the difficult work to bring their economy up out of the depths, giving a better life and greater choices to millions of people living in desperate situations.
There will always be poor among us. People will continue to make bad choices that leave themselves (and others after them) destitute. Illness and unemployment may bring lean times. Medical needs will soak up savings. Disability can limit a person's options. Economic shifts will continue to compromise communities' stability. Disasters, like flood, drought, and war, will affect entire nations of people.
In the USA, we live in a land of plenty. We each live our privileged lives - working hard, caring for family, sharing in our community, and striving to make the world a little brighter. But most of us don't worry if we'll have a place to sleep tonight or enough to eat tomorrow. Few of us have ever left our home with our possessions on our backs and no safety net to catch us.
Right now in the Horn of Africa, there is a drought that has brought a famine that has resulted in unimaginable crisis for millions of people. Incredibly high food prices, lack of security and governance, and inadequate investment in long term agricultural development have left millions of families with absolutely nothing. They are walking through the desert hoping to reach something... anything that's better than the nothing they have. No food... no water... nothing.
I have a favorite scene from the movie Hotel Rwanda (2004). This movie depicts the true story of Paul Rusesabagina who housed over 1,000 refugees in the hotel he managed during the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Read the movie's basic storyline as published on IMDb. Then watch the clip.
Ten years ago [1994] some of the worst atrocities in the history of mankind took place in the country of Rwanda--and in an era of high-speed communication and round the clock news, the events went almost unnoticed by the rest of the world. In only three months, one million people were brutally murdered. In the face of these unspeakable actions, inspired by his love for his family, an ordinary man summons extraordinary courage to save the lives of over a thousand helpless refugees, by granting them shelter in the hotel he manages.
I am inspired to not be one who sits at dinner and says, "That's horrible!" and then goes on eating. My family and I give monthly to World Vision. They are a wonderful Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world. And they serve all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. My family has worked with this organization for nearly five years by donating and volunteering. They are passionate about caring for all people in need. They serve families and communities in the US, in developing nations, in war-torn regions, and in the aftermath of natural and man-made disasters. Right now they are working hard to feed the millions of frightened, hungry, and thirsty families in the Horn of Africa.
Please consider making a donation right now to feed hungry families in the Horn of Africa today.
If you don't give to help Africa through World Vision, please find an organization today that can help these desperate men, women and children.
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