I've got this burnin' yearnin', feelin' inside me!

Apr 11, 2008 - 21:32 PM PST
Africa is a beautiful continent, filled with natural resources beyond belief, but it has been devastated by wars, famines, droughts, and other major disasters. I was watching American Idol today on DVR (I know that makes me a big loser, but i don't care, I like it lol). Well anyway, they did the "Idol gives back" episode, and it really inspired me. They raised something like $70 million, I don't even know how much, but they are donating it all to charities in the US and Africa, I think about half here and half over there, whatever, I don't know the specifics. But they showed all these video clips of movie stars, and singers over in Africa helping people, and telling their stories. I think its wonderful that they raised so much money to help these people, but it got me thinking that money really isn't enough to get people the help they need. It sure helps, and it is definitely needed, so give where you can, but it simply isn't enough. If I want to really make a difference in someones life, I can't just give them $20 and be on my way; it requires time and effort and most of all LOVE. So I've decided that I want to go to Africa. Now I know that is a pretty big decision to make after seeing one TV show, but that was really more of the icing on the cake, every time I hear about all the troubles that people have there, and all the pain caused by civil wars and famines, I feel like that not only should I do whatever I can to help, but that I am obligated to do so. That we are all obligated, as human beings, to help out our neighbors when they are in need, even if our neighbors happen to be thousands of miles across the ocean. So this time, seeing all that pain and hardship was just too much, and I've decided that I need to do something about it. I just can't sit here so comfortably anymore, knowing that every 30 seconds another child dies from Malaria because they can't afford a mosquito net or medication. I see all the things I own, excessive amounts of clothes, purses, a camera worth hundreds of dollars, the laptop I am typing on...and it sickens me to know that there are children with nothing but the clothes on their backs (and in many cases not even that) no shoes, no home, no food, and worst of all, something I can't even imagine...no family. I don't know how I'd survive, honestly I really don't think I could. How is it possible to live, with no one to love you, no one to help you when you need it, and comfort you. I just can't get my mind around it. So I have to go. I don't have any special skills to contribute, or a lot of money to get things done, but I have compassion, and i have a desire to help, but most of all...I have Love. Lots and lots of love. Love that I need to give to someone who really really needs it. Right now, I don't see any good oppurtunities to go to Africa, especially as a spur of the moment type thing. I don't have much money, I'm still in school, so I don't really have time, although the summer is coming up, but I don't know if there would be enough time to plan anything, and I don't have anyone to go with, and going alone would be crazy. But I have to go, I need to go. If I don't it will drive me crazy. So I've decided that if at all possible to go this summer, I will take the oppurtunity, but if not then idealistically, I'd like to go within the next two years, but with my schedule, and college coming up just around the corner, realistically I'd say within five years. If I can get into a school like Duke or Stanford, I could do a semester abroad, and go wherever I wanted to study while making a major difference in the lives of those who need it, as well as my own life. But I hope that it doesn't take me that long to do this because I think it is very important for everyone to do what they can to help, and if at all possible to help in this way, I will do all that I can to do it.
And if you didn't understand the title, its an allusion to a song that I had in my head, but I thought it fit quite nicely =]

I've got this burnin' yearnin', feelin' inside me!

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1 Comments

Apr 16, 2008 - 11:08 AM

imnigel on
good luck in making it happen for yourself.. I'm hopefully going to go the summer after next to a school in rwanda with some people from my school.. hope you get a chance aswell :)