Chadrack
As the 2015 Children's Day was celebrated in Nigeria on May 27 and I was following the event online, reading news articles and reports about the celebration, the thought that kept coming to my mind was that of the many children who live in abject poverty, not only in that country but around the world.
Ironically, most people take the little things for granted, such as a sip of water or a warm bed to sleep in. What many often do not realize is that while we throw away our leftovers or allow something to spoil in the refrigerator, there are tons of children around the world who do not know where their next meal is even coming from.
It may be unbelievable but the truth anyway!
Ban Ki-moo, Secretary-General of the United Nations once said,
“The one thing all children have in common is their rights. Every child has the right to survive and thrive, to be educated, to be free from violence and abuse, to participate and to be heard.”
But this is far from the truth, in real life. It is important that we recognize this because being aware of the problem and knowing what too many kids face, is the first step in helping with the solution.
The impact that hunger has on a child is beyond the idea of not eating. While it creates sadness and depression by simply being hungry so often, it hinders their ability to learn and grow at acceptable rates. A lack of nutrition affects our bodies in so many ways including difficulties in focusing, weight and strength loss and the onset of other illnesses.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, almost 16 million children in America do not have enough consistent nutritional food in their homes. The numbers are alarming all across the globe. If must help then we must all agree that no child should be left wondering when they will eat next.
Unfortunately, while there are many programs to help families with this struggle, not enough of them are getting all that they need.
It is easy to say that we should simply provide resources for those who need it. This is controversial because while they need and deserve it, this requires large amounts of money and a ton of help. There are certain programs that lead these efforts and they need all the assistance they can get to make this happen.
With help from individuals and companies alike, the fight against childhood hunger is an ongoing one. Many companies, including ACN Inc., donate their time, efforts and money to the cause. This is indeed commendable, but it will be a good thing that more people are involved.
Once more people are aware of just how sad and prevalent this problem is, hopefully more support will come. It is surely needed. One donation or ongoing help all comes together to improve the statistics.
With programs placed in and out of school systems, the hope to abolish childhood hunger is a strong one. Simply knowing about it and doing what you can to help can change the lives of children who struggle. And so, while we set aside certain days in the year to celebrate the child, like the Universal Children's Day, we must go beyond words and the fun-fair and provide concrete solutions for eradicating childhood hunger.
Whether it is because of poverty or neglect, no child deserves to feel the pains of hunger. No child should live like that. The world would be a better place if this menace is indeed eradicated or minimized!
And so, on this occasion of the celebration of Children's Day in Nigeria I dedicate this post to all the hungry children all over the world and call on all to join the fight against Children's World Hunger!
