What A Wonderful World - if we all chip in

This article is contributed by a friend of ours, Chawan, calling for humanitarian awareness.

                                                                                                                                                

What can I say about the world? That it’s a beautiful place, full of beautiful people? Of course, to me it’s as simple as that.

But this is as far as my life is concerned. I can’t say the same about other people. I definitely cannot say the same for about 90% other human beings on this planet (remember that percentage).

You see, I live in a safe and resourceful country which its main problem is that there are too many self-centered individuals. That is the extent of my disorientation with this country.

Having started work at an NGO that does humanitarian work, my whole worldview changed dramatically. I have a job, I can put food on the table every day, I have basic needs like electricity and water, I’m educated and my children have basic healthcare. Fortunately, I’m in the 10% of the world population that have all these.

Imagine if you will, the other 90%.

In my first week of work, I’ve been exposed to disheartening (I almost wanted to use the word ‘disturbing’) videos of people in Sudan, Somalia and even neighboring countries like Philippines and Cambodia.

“Nice, they’ve expanded the market” were the words of a senior colleague when watching a clip of Darfur – he has been on missions there before. The clip only showed sporadically arranged chest-level tents built on sticks, no roads or anything, just dusty surfaces and sellers selling dried goods.

If that’s expansion, I don’t know what malls are if they were to build one.

What pains me the most is to see little kids looking so happy, not knowing what other kids are privileged to. They should not be satisfied with what they have, but they don't show a single form of discontentment. Our kids would wail if they don't get chocolates. These kids would be happy just to get water.

Another clip showed a riot in one refugee camp in Guinea. A French humanitarian aid team wanted to help the people by distributing food, however there weren't enough for distribution - urgent needs in Afghanistan rerouted some of the food collection. The people went mad.

After the riot, some people didn’t get any food to last them the week. The video then showed one woman cooking leaves to feed her children, eight of them. Green leaves from a tree.

Problem is, even if there were enough, everyone would have only gotten salt, sugar, beans and grains – all in small quantities. Sometimes they would have to trade one item for another item. Some woman resorted to prostitution for food.

We have people in such condition in this country, at least one family in a community. Watch Bersamamu and you’ll get what I mean. Imagine the whole community is like that one family in Bersamamu. What kind of community would that be?

I don’t know what we can do to help. But any amount of help can certainly go a long way for these people.

So what can I say about the world? That it needs help.

Maybe we can donate to aid organizations like MERCY Malaysia for a start (www.mercy.org.my)