Everything I Need

By: Julia Salazar

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August 9, 2005

I know that there is hunger all over the world but nothing pulls on my heartstrings more than children suffering. In Niger (the second poorest country on earth), there are approximately 192,000 malnourished children (32,000 of them facing death) who need immediate help because a plague of locusts followed by drought has decimated the crop.

Hunger and disease here have reached a crisis level, killing one in four children before the age of five. That doesn’t sit well with this mother of twin five-year-old daughters. I will spare you the details about the personal heartache in Niger, because like me you don’t need one more thing in this world to make you feel sad or bad or mad, as I’ve taught my kids to say. But I promise you, if you knew their stories or saw their faces, you would cry.

It does make me feel incredibly blessed knowing that we have so much abundance in the U.S. We have so much food in this country, so much waste, and with so many of us battling our weight maybe we need an exchange program with the people of Niger. It could be a win-win.

Today, I don’t want to leave the house. There is plenty of food in the refrigerator. I don’t want to buy one more thing I don’t need. Instead, I want to e-mail every person I know and urge them to make a donation to the hungry children across the world. I want to organize a garage sale and sell stuff and donate the proceeds. I want to adopt one of these kids. I won't do it all but I’ll do what I can. It will make a small difference but a difference, nonetheless.

And I'll start with this. My mother’s birthday is Monday and instead of buying her a gift like a book or a shawl, I’m going to make a donation in her name to UNICEF. After all, she has everything she needs as well and that $100 will feed 100 kids for the day.

I hope when the spotlight fades on the faces of the hungry of Niger, I remember to help those less fortunate, to help those who really can’t help themselves because the land doesn’t support them.

I want to cancel any thought of ever throwing a pity party for myself. Sure I have a few bills, but so what. I have my health. I have people who love me. I have everything I need. I even have the capacity to help strangers.

To make an online donation to emergency relief for the children of Niger through UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund), click here.

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MP

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