A Good Cause

10-6-2013

While sitting on my porch a few days ago and student came down the road. I waved and said hello. He then came up to see me and told me about a group he was forming to help the needy. Maybe I had some extra clothes to donate.

He went on to describe a project a group of his fellow students were doing to build a little bridge across a path which I am familiar with, getting wet myself try to cross the little stream. It seems these students were doing this on their own, just to help out. It sounded like volunteerism to me, something very rare in the third world. Their goal was to build an orphanage for the many homeless children in the area, a lofty goal indeed.

What got them going was seeing all the hungry and orphaned children who hang around outside the cafeteria hoping for some rice or a piece of bread. These children tend to be scared off by university guards. The students began to think about how fortunate they were and how could they help those less fortunate.

I said I might be of some help to them writing proposals and attended their ad hoc meeting this afternoon. I was greatly impressed.

They were starting off with officers, meeting minutes, and each member of the group donates a “tax” to be used to help others. I made a few suggestions which I think they appreciated. I guess I was hooked. I am now their “advisor”.

Now they are off the get some life-stories from some of the kids, maybe even some photos. They want to recruit more students, non-students, men and women, put up posters, get on campus radio. They need to become “official” by registering as an organization with the university. They have a number of good ideas and their hardest task is to stay focused on their main goal of helping orphans and needy children. Should be interesting.

Some of the young men in the group

Happy man walking across bridge