It only costs $8,500 to build a school in a third-world country. Did you know that?
Ok, so the economy might not be at its best at the moment, but I know there are a lot of people who have money and don’t know what to do with it. You might be retired, you might have come into an inheritance, or you might have saved up. Wouldn’t building a school for children who really need it be a wonderful way to spend that money?
There are many issues facing schools in third-world nations. For instance AIDS/HIV kills teachers at rapid rates in Africa; in South Africa, 30 percent of teachers are HIV positive. Third-world parents seek to send their children to private schools, as government systems offer no incentives for high scores; teachers receive the same pay regardless of scores or attendance.
I just want to remind everyone about the power of compassion. We have to act with humanity in mind because, as people, we have that power to love and hate, as well as the power to choose which we will do. We shouldn’t be at peace with ourselves until we know we’ve done what we can to help others, I think. Even to give a little bit helps; on the Free The Children website, there was a paragraph about a boy who wanted to help build a school and collected soda cans and bottles… from the trailer park where he lived. He found it within himself to give $30, as much as he could.
Even if you know other fortunate people who could help contribute to the building of a school, it would help. Schools collect money to do so; children helping children happens across the world.
I guess I thought of writing this for several reasons. I thought about the war in Iraq and what soldiers are doing overseas (well, not the ones who tortured and humiliated detainees, or murdered civilians), and the sacrifices they make to help us in America as well as those in the Middle East. I thought about the last lecture by Randy Pausch, which is one of the most inspiring movies I’ve seen. I also thought about turning 21 years old, and having something to show for it.
I just think that this is something worth considering. Maybe you’re feeling a little down and you want to do something to feel good about yourself. Maybe you just want to spend some money. You may even want to travel a little. If you don’t have the $8,500 to build a school, you can maybe pay $2,000-3,000 to go on a volunteer trip!
Look into the different options available to you. There is so much you can do with your time and money, maybe worth more than anything you can think of doing for yourself alone.