I Want To Do My Part...

Listening to: Man in the Mirror-Michael Jackson


Today, I watched one of the most heartbreaking things I've seen in a long time. Me, being a big huge fan of Alicia Keys, was reading up on some of the projects she gets involved in. The "Keep a Child Alive" foundation is probably one of the most well known. It's an organization that provides African people plagued by Aids with the medication that they are unable to afford. Alicia visited three countries- Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa where she learned more about the Aids epidemic & recorded her journey in a documentary called Alicia Keys in Africa: Journey to the Motherland. Two of my best friends come from Uganda and Kenya, so this also raised my interest in the matter. Apparently, Aids originated from monkeys and the disease transferred to humans who ate monkey meat. Isn't that interesting? That's information I've just learned today.


Anyway, Alicia visited some of the poorest locations in this country and met people and the families of people who were infected with the disease. She met a family that consisted of a grandmother and 3 children. They all lived in one room. Of course, it touched my heart that they had to live in an environment with little to no electricity, limited space, and no running water. But what really broke my heart....really got me crying..was this 16 yr old boy's story. He looked no older than 10 years old! This is because the disease, which he caught from his mother who died from it, stunted his growth. The boy was deaf and so the tears than ran down his 2 older sisters' faces was how he knew that something wasn't right. Seeing this, he started crying too. You may have noticed that I use the past tense when mentioning the boy. He died one week later after Alicia's visit.


She spoke to an elderly woman who projects one of the most selfless characters I've ever seen. Poor, old, and unhealthy, she is the only guardian of her numerous grandchildren. She spoke about how she hopes that one of her grand-daughters would one day practice her studies. The struggle and hardship that this woman faces on a daily basis is evident in her expressions when she speaks. Yet, she still calls on the name of God and never gives up. She knows that her health is not at its best and age is catching up with her, so she expects death soon..which is one of her biggest fears-it will steal her away from her grand kids who are greatly dependent on her. She said that before she dies, she just wants to know that her grand kids are taken care of. But how possible will that be? Other families in the community already have so much to bare. Adults are dying from the disease every day, leaving millions of African children orphaned.


Alicia sat down and spoke to some of the teenagers in one of the communities. I was blown away at how young people, whose first language is not English and most likely do not get a good quality education, can speak so intelligently! That's probably my favorite part of the whole documentary..listening to those kids, finding out what it's like inside their minds on a daily basis. One said that each day she wakes up, she gives God thanks because she is so grateful to still be alive. Crazy! When I wake up, I either think about how much more sleep I can sneak in, or what I'm going to eat for breakfast. Some of these kids do not even know when their next good meal will be. What really touched my heart, is that not one-regardless of age-not one of them complained about their situation. They oozed positivity with remarks like "I have dreams". One girl said, "Strength is not measured by how many times you fall down, but how many times you pick yourself up (and keep going)" I can only imagine how inspired Alicia felt while sitting in their presence.


Alicia has helped build a center in South Africa where patients can receive medication to treat the disease. There, they can also receive counseling and other valuable things that will help them cope. I am so proud and inspired by her. She's doing her part in bettering humanity. A whole generation is being wiped out and I don't see why we should let this happen. I want to do something. I want to get involved. My first step is texting "alive' to donate 5 bucks to the KCA foundation. When I start working, I will try to keep donating as long as I have it.

I'm also thinking about volunteering at one of these African countries. I visited www.be-more.org where I found a lot of useful information. However, volunteers have to take care of expenses on their own such as plane ticket, groceries, etc. I know, why do you have to pay to volunteer? It's simple. These non-profit organizations need as much money as they can to care of these kids. When I requested further information to be sent to me from the website, I was surprised to find out that they sent me a PowerPoint type document via email rather than a brochure in the mail. Not only are they trying to be environmentally friendly, but they are also cutting un ecessary costs. It's an application process in which you have to be selected. I'm considering it. I know that if I do this, it will be one of the most memorable, if not most memorable, periods of my life. The fulfillment I will get out of knowing that I've helped people in need would be a great pay.


Love, Light, & God.


-Niku.