Last week we said goodbye to our Emergency Coordinator Tracy Stover as she boarded a plane for Dadaab, Kenya, where hundreds of thousands of refugees are in need of food and water. Watching her heavily loaded backpack disappear into the crowd at Sea-Tac airport, I found myself wondering, can one person really make a difference?
An estimated 500,000 children in the Horn of Africa are at risk of death from famine.
Tracy will be serving in the midst of the worst crisis facing the world today. The U.N. estimates 12.4 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Half a million children are at risk of death from famine.
Figures like this cause us to wonder if even thousands of aid workers and millions of dollars can make a difference.
But Tracy is not going alone. She and the rest of the World Concern team working in the Horn of Africa have the support of donors. Like an invisible, potent force, those who are giving to this cause are making it possible for aid workers to save lives.
Can one person make a difference?
Anyone whose heart was touched by the tragic passing of 9-year-old Rachel Beckwith knows the answer is yes. Rachel’s legacy will live on for decades as entire villages will have clean water for generations to come because of her selfless act.
You can make a difference too. And you don’t have to do it alone. Most people will help if they are simply asked. Here are a few ways you could do that:
Host a dinner for friends. Ask each person to bring a potluck dish to share. Present some information about the famine in the Horn of Africa. Include stories of people who are hungry and in need. Ask everyone to consider donating whatever they would have spent on a nice dinner out to help families survive this disaster.
Ask your friends to give up dinner out and donate. (Photo: Simon Howden)
Sixty dollars can provide food and water for a family for a month. Think about that: the cost of one meal in a restaurant can keep five people alive for an entire month.
Hold a garage sale or rummage sale. Round up some friends at your church and ask members to donate unused clothing and household items for a charity sale. Donate the proceeds to help in the famine relief.
You can also dedicate a birthday, anniversary or even a day’s work to the cause. World Concern partner One Day’s Wages is raising funds to support the famine response. Check out their personal fundraising tools and think about what you could do to create your own fundraiser.
Can one person make a difference? You bet.
Get started today, and be sure to share your idea with us!
Can one person make a difference? http://t.co/QLNrPOC via @AddThis
Can one person really make a difference? Yes, YOU can! Here are some ideas: http://t.co/x6CNaa0 @OneDaysWages (via @worldconcern)
Here’s a link to my blog article, happily bringing in donations already.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/07/1004133/-48-for-East-Africa:-Look-both-ways-before-you-cross
The article offers a simple metaphor for how we all neglect to prevent crises such as this. And a paper setting out how to tackle prevention on the scale that’s needed – it’s BIG!
Hope this helps? Keep up your super work
Yes, of course one person can make a difference. In South Africa, women infected by VIH work like nurses in order to support their fellow countryman in the worst slums. Here you have a report on it.
What a great article Cathy. Thank you!
Can one person make a difference? Yes indeed. http://t.co/bRsI0Tq
We believe so too. RT @worldconcern: Can one person make a difference? Yes indeed. http://t.co/BanPWUe