Heal the world
“Non nobis solum nati sumus. (Not for ourselves alone are we born.)”– Marcus Tullius Cicero
I love watching short films on YouTube of any genre. It was a relaxing day, was done with my daily chores, so thought of indulging in some movie. I happened to click on a link on Asian films as the thumbnail caught my attention. It showed a woman and her family eating dinner. Now nothing unusual or different about it but the only thing I was inquisitive was about the sad expression on the woman’s face. I wanted to know what could be the possible reason for her to bear such an expression. I clicked on the link and the movie started.
It was a short movie for about 12 minutes but by the end of it something in me changed. The family consisted of a woman, her children and her aged mother. The economic condition of the family was frail!, in fact they were really hand to mouth. The woman pretended to be a leper so she could get a place to stay and keep her family secure but for some reason she was now asked to move out hence the expression.
The scene shows the woman crying and telling her family “All these years I have pretended to have leprosy so we could have a place to stay! where am I supposed to go now with you all! We have no home..” I felt numb for a moment and felt as if I was that woman instead. It was a horrifying feeling! I could not imagine not having a home or food for my kids and at the same time also felt grateful for what I have.
Being homeless is the biggest curse in the society today. There are so many people all over the world for various social, economic or political reasons without a place to live and food to eat today.
What are we doing for them as a community? How to arrange shelters and food for them? How to find a long term solution to this ?
I had no answers then. living in my own small cocooned world of security and comfort, I never faced the challenges that so many people in our community face on daily basis. “If you’re in the luckiest one per cent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 per cent.” Warren Buffet. My empathy for less priveledged was not going to make any difference in their lives. Only thing I can do is take a step.
There are so many good samaritans who are working endlessly to help others and volunteering to bring about change . Many NGOs and government agencies are working towards the eradication of major social and economic issues. Many of us are not even aware of how we can make a difference and contribute.
So here are the links to the list of Shelters provided by the government of India and in Malaysia where I currently reside, where in if you see a homeless person you can help them. Also, links to few other NGOs where you can volunteer and donate for other serious causes.
For India
http://delhishelterboard.in/main/?page_id=483
http://delhishelterboard.in/main/?page_id=3305
http://www.giveindia.org/certified-indian-ngos.aspx
http://www.ngoreporter.com/search-ngo/state-wise-ngo-list
http://mumbaimarathon.indiatimes.com/images/ngo2010.pdf
For Malaysia
http://www.peoplegiving.org/list-of-charity-partners
If we are able to take some time out of our busy schedules and contribute for the betterment of the society and empowering those in need , this world would be a different place where every child has food to eat and a place called home.
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.”– Dalai Lama
