A STORY FROM NYC: Haiti related The other day I found myself on an East side bus here in NYC seated across from a young boy of about 12 years old. He was on his cell phone pleading with his mother to come meet him and give him money because he was hungry. Perhaps had I not spent the past 4 years working in Haiti, I may have just attributed this to an ordinary story of sorts, of a rather over indulged American child. But I have been working in Haiti, so it struck a very deep chord. I wanted to hand this child my card and tell him to give it to his mother, in the hopes that she would come to find out about Haiti and in turn find a way to share that with her son. If children are not shown worlds other than their own, it is difficult for them to comprehend a life that is radically different from the one in which they live. It is difficult for them to understand that a child his or her age living just an hour’s flight from Miami, more than likely has no cell phone, no shoes, no proper home, no food, no water, nor a chance to go to school. Would’t it be incredible if parents everywhere chose to expose their children to how “the other half lives”. Just think about how the next generation would be so profoundly affected and what they might do with their lives because of these experiences. I am working later this month with a wonderful group of artists and dear friends who are coming to Haiti -- and brining their children. They are bringing their children so that their children can see and experience a world drastically different from their own and through this experience can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of their own lives. They will witness poverty like they have never seen before and they will learn about service, compassion and gratitude and take these lessons with them on their journey in life. Something tells me they will be different people because of it.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 12:23:13 +0000