I watched the Oprah show today and realized how incredibly lucky I am that I was born where I was and am living the life I am. The show today was all about the power of hope and how every bit we can do will help transform the lives of women around the world.
The show started with the story of Tererai, from Zimbabwe, who basically had nothing but her dreams to egg her on and ultimately managed to pull herself out of stark poverty and earn a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, followed by a Master's Degree and in the immediate future, a Ph.D - all this despite a father that did not allow her to go to school, marriage to a wife abuser at the age of 11 and supporting 5 children. Watching this story unfold made me realize how truly inconsequential my problems are. This inspirational story was followed by the introduction of another story where a $5 loan changed a woman's life forever. The show then took us to the women in Congo where unspeakable acts are perpetrated against them by a militant group called the FDLR - it was sad to see the burn-ravaged face of a young woman who was raped and brutalized because the FDLR chief's dog died and he decided to exact vengeance on that particular village. I know - HORRIBLE!! You can review the show here.
By the end of the show I was moved to tears and silently thanked God for all my blessings and resolved to do my little bit to publicize the cause by virtue of this blog. Next stop FB status message. But first, here's a little more information on how we can change the world - one tiny step at a time. For as little as $5 one can provide a midwife with a birthing kit, for as little as $15 one can help a rape victim get hospitalization and medical care - the various tabs give you the different options/causes available to donate.
So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind,
Is all this sad world needs.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox
No comments:
Post a Comment