If the world were a village of 100 people Part 4

I watched the TV program "If the world were a village of 100 people, Part 4" today.

It featured 3 children this time. One of them was a 9-year-old boy who was a street children in Ukraine. He escaped from his father's violence. He has HIV because of his father who is a drug addict.

He asked a Japanese reporter if she was hungry and eats food he had. He had food... probably it was not food for Japanese. And it was today's first food for him. But he considered her who probably has never have trouble eating. He also was worried about his younger sister who was in an orphanage. He said he hoped his sister didn't spend life like him and want her to go to school and spend normal life, he also wanted to go to school. I couldn't stop crying.

He is always running away from police. If he is taken into protective custody by police, he will be taken to the orphanage, and end up with going back to home where violent father is in. TV program staff tried to talk him into going hospital but he adamantly refused to do.

There are many street children who escaped from their family's violence. They have only 2 choices, being street children or living with violent family? Why country doesn't protect them?

There are many children who are under harsh situation. Many associations act for helping them. But I think the root of the whole problem is "country (government)". Each country must take appropriate policies to resolve this problem.

In Japan, there are no street children, no child labor, every child can go to school... although until about 60 years ago, many poor children couldn't go to school and did heavy work.
Why did Japan could make present good, and rare situations?

Japanese TV sometimes airs the program like this. And then? Is that all? For what purpose did they air those? Most Japanese who watched the program feel "poor thing!". That's all.
Japan (including me) should DO something.

Engaging in the humanitarian assistance

I watched the movie "Beyond Borders" on TV although it was aired midnight, because I'm thinking about engaging in the humanitarian international relief operations. Like I wrote on this blog before, I want to do activities to help children go to school.

At the price of yourself, even your life, can you support others? I don't have confidence at all.
When I see children (people) who are under harsh and terrible conditions, tears always came into my eyes. That's not good. At least, I must be stronger to engage in the activities.

By the way, the filmmaker of "Beyond Borders" might have described the heroine Angelina Jolie performed as a brave woman. But on reflection, wasn't she just selfish? I felt bad for her husband. Haha

Anger

Child abuse in Turkey was reported in the news today. Staffs abused children in the orphanage. Staffs abuse children on a daily basis for a long time, over 19 years. One person who knows the fact of the child abuse took abusing scenes with a hidden camera. Terrible. Really terrible. I can never forgive them. 7 staffs who were all women were arrested. But it is the tip of iceberg. Many children are plagued by abuse as well as war, poor, disaster and so on.

How can we protect children from these things?

My goals on the future chronology

Yesterday was my birthday and I set up goals and made my future chronology.

I set up some goals. Of course one of them is "English". I will score over 900 on TOEIC exam in 3 years. (Oh! You think it's impossible now, don't you?)

Another is that I will do activities to help poor children in the world. At the present time, I do something I can do a little by little. I hope I will do the activities worldwide in the future.

There are many poor people in the world. Especially I'd like to help children.
For example, street children. One Filipino girl works in dump all day and get small changes. They can eat lean meals only every 3days.
For example, children who are in the battlefields, children who are in the disaster areas, children who are in the poorest countries.
When they play with their friends, they really enjoy with smile, although they are in the harsh situation. When I see their innocent smile, I feel near tears. They can't go to school but they have strong desire to study. So I'd like to do activities to make situation that children can go to school. I think foods are needed before education though.

#=#=# Quote to a book "If the world were a village of 100 people". #=#=#

If you have money in the bank, money in your wallet and spare change somewhere around the house, you are among the richest 8.

Among the villagers,
1 has a college education, 2 have computers, 14 cannot read.
#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#

I have money in the bank, in my wallet. I had gone to university. I have my computer.
And these are things most Japanese take for granted. But these are very very rare things in the world. I must be thankful for my situation.