This post is a continuation from pt 1 (duh). And if I may, I suggest reading that first before this.
So, in Part 1, I told the story of Srey Mom, a child sex worker, who was forced into the heinous trafficking trade. Was that her fault? Certainly not, and I'm sure anyone would agree with me. And yet, there are many children out there who are suffering the same fate she suffered years ago. There are many others who live from hand to mouth and have too little to eat. Others with no clean water. Others who have lost parents to disasters, accidents, murders and so on.
Doesn't that make you think how fortunate we are here in Malaysia? To be born in a place where we have enough to eat. Where there's hardly any chance we'd lose our parents or siblings in wars. Where its generally safe and peaceful.
Oh sure I know this country isn't perfect. No country is. Yes there's crime and corruption. But don't you think as a whole we're a pretty fortunate lot? But no, we don't really, do we? A lot of us complain and grouch about our jobs, and the petty dissatisfactions we have. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to judge others or be condescending. Too many times I'm like that too.
But this One Life exhibition brings to mind about how blessed we are to be here. Do we know that? I'm sure we do, subconsciously. But let's take a minute to reflect here. We've been blessed so so much. We've got jobs. We've got homes. We've got enough. We've got education. We've got so many other things which we take for granted every single day.
You know, there's a saying that goes "You never know what you've got till you lose it". Let's not wait till we lose what we've been blessed with. Let's reflect on the very fact that we have enough for a moment. Maybe not very much, but enough. Yes some of us may have to work 2 or 3 shifts to earn enough to feed ourselves and our kids. But we have enough. Many people out there don't.
Let's give a little out of what we have. I've mentioned this in previous posts. I once got flamed by a guy who said "if you're oprah or someone like that then you'll be rich enough and only then can you make a difference". Here's my take on it. You don't have to be Oprah. You don't have to be rich. Surely a person who has enough can give some to someone who doesn't have enough.
We don't have to give the clothes off our backs or quit our jobs and all become Mother Theresas. We can all make a difference. Small differences, but big differences are made up of small differences. Did you know a single pebble can start an avalanche? Why don't we start an avalanche?
All we need to do is realise how much we have been blessed. And when we've realised that, let's appreciate that. And then let's move towards a better future. We have the power to make a difference in our small ways. The little time or money or whatever that you and I can give can and will make a difference. In the Bible, Jesus multiplied a little boy's lunch to feed 5,000 people. All it took was one boy to be willing to start something. To give something of himself. God did the rest.
Try it, and let's be amazed at the results.
And I quote here the One Life Revolution motto: "You've got one life. Do something"
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
One Life pt. 1
Most of you've probably never heard of the One Life Revolution. I'll tell you about it. It was an exhibition that was held in Monash Uni, Mid Valley and finally in DUMC, a church in PJ. It told the stories of 3 children's lives and invited visitors to walk in the shoes of those children for 20 minutes. I only managed to visit 2 so I will tell both those stories. And I invite you to walk in their shoes even as I tell the stories. Please note the details might be very slightly different as I'm writing from memory.
Srey Mom, Cambodia
Imagine your father dying suddenly when you are 12. You don't understand it. One moment he's fine, and the next, he's dying of a disease you don't even know. Things get harder after he dies. Your mother has to work extra hard to support you, your 2 brothers and your aging grandmother.
One fine day, your mother abandons you. She leaves with your 2 brothers, leaving you with your grandmother. You don't know what to do.
You decide to go to the city to look for her. A neighbour makes exciting promises about the city. Opportunities. Money to be made. Ahh..Money. You swallow the bait and follow him. And then surprise surprise. He abandons you as well. Left on your own in a city you know nothing about at the tender age of 14.
You start to sell fruits to make a living. Not much, but some. You haven't managed to locate your mother and brothers.
Someone approaches you one day. Offers you a different life. And that magic word again; money. You follow her. You end up in a house. Several other girls are out front, dressed scantily. The owner of the house then tells you that money was paid for you, and you have to work off your debt, gaining a meagre salary in the process.
You are taken to your room. There's a dress hanging on the wall, and you are told to put it on. You start to protest, saying "There must be some mistake'" but you are beaten. Finally you give in. That's when the hell starts.
You are forced to have sex with many men a day. Cambodians, Thais, labourers, workers. They ask for a young girl. Again and again, you are brought out to be shown to 'customers'. They are rough with you, and none of them use condoms.
It starts to take a toll on you. You try to escape, but you are caught and beaten senseless.You start to feel sick. It scares you. You've heard of this disease called HIV. You've seen other girls at the house who have been diagnosed with HIV mysteriously disappear. You suspect they are turned out on the streets or worse.
Finally, you get to sick to work one day. The owner takes you to the hospital. You sense a chance of escape and you run out a door and hide in a garbage bin. You can see the house owner looking for you everywhere, but thankfully not the garbage bin in which you are hiding. Exhausted, you drop off to sleep.
You wake up screaming, when a nearby shopowner opens the bin and pours hot soup in. Your scream draws curious onlookers. They jeer at you and mock you, calling you a thief.
Finally you are reunited with your mother and brothers. Your mother operates a food stall in the city. But your happy reunion does not last long. Your sickness worsens. Spots and sores cover your body. People stop coming to your mother's food stall, afraid that they might contract the dirty and deadly disease you have. And so, your mother turns you out again.
You end up in a hospital to be tested for HIV. You are hoping you haven't got it, because you've seen the way people treat those who have HIV. But your hopes are once again dashed when the tests confirm you are HIV positive. You're still young. Perhaps 20 years of age. You are HIV postive...
How does this story end? Sree Mom eventually met a social worker from World Vision. Through this worker and World Vision, she has received help and care. She has been reunited with her family again, and they've been educated about HIV.
Now she is an active worker with World Vision working against child trafficking and prostitution in Cambodia.
To be continued in Part 2..
Srey Mom, Cambodia
Imagine your father dying suddenly when you are 12. You don't understand it. One moment he's fine, and the next, he's dying of a disease you don't even know. Things get harder after he dies. Your mother has to work extra hard to support you, your 2 brothers and your aging grandmother.
One fine day, your mother abandons you. She leaves with your 2 brothers, leaving you with your grandmother. You don't know what to do.
You decide to go to the city to look for her. A neighbour makes exciting promises about the city. Opportunities. Money to be made. Ahh..Money. You swallow the bait and follow him. And then surprise surprise. He abandons you as well. Left on your own in a city you know nothing about at the tender age of 14.
You start to sell fruits to make a living. Not much, but some. You haven't managed to locate your mother and brothers.
Someone approaches you one day. Offers you a different life. And that magic word again; money. You follow her. You end up in a house. Several other girls are out front, dressed scantily. The owner of the house then tells you that money was paid for you, and you have to work off your debt, gaining a meagre salary in the process.
You are taken to your room. There's a dress hanging on the wall, and you are told to put it on. You start to protest, saying "There must be some mistake'" but you are beaten. Finally you give in. That's when the hell starts.
You are forced to have sex with many men a day. Cambodians, Thais, labourers, workers. They ask for a young girl. Again and again, you are brought out to be shown to 'customers'. They are rough with you, and none of them use condoms.
It starts to take a toll on you. You try to escape, but you are caught and beaten senseless.You start to feel sick. It scares you. You've heard of this disease called HIV. You've seen other girls at the house who have been diagnosed with HIV mysteriously disappear. You suspect they are turned out on the streets or worse.
Finally, you get to sick to work one day. The owner takes you to the hospital. You sense a chance of escape and you run out a door and hide in a garbage bin. You can see the house owner looking for you everywhere, but thankfully not the garbage bin in which you are hiding. Exhausted, you drop off to sleep.
You wake up screaming, when a nearby shopowner opens the bin and pours hot soup in. Your scream draws curious onlookers. They jeer at you and mock you, calling you a thief.
Finally you are reunited with your mother and brothers. Your mother operates a food stall in the city. But your happy reunion does not last long. Your sickness worsens. Spots and sores cover your body. People stop coming to your mother's food stall, afraid that they might contract the dirty and deadly disease you have. And so, your mother turns you out again.
You end up in a hospital to be tested for HIV. You are hoping you haven't got it, because you've seen the way people treat those who have HIV. But your hopes are once again dashed when the tests confirm you are HIV positive. You're still young. Perhaps 20 years of age. You are HIV postive...
How does this story end? Sree Mom eventually met a social worker from World Vision. Through this worker and World Vision, she has received help and care. She has been reunited with her family again, and they've been educated about HIV.
Now she is an active worker with World Vision working against child trafficking and prostitution in Cambodia.
To be continued in Part 2..
Friday, July 4, 2008
Live For? Die For?
I'd be willing to bet that a whole lot of people in the world today haven't got the slightest clue what to live for. And because of that, most of us just take the easier alternative; not to think and just live for ourselves. What does that mean? It means Me First. Everything else is second. Yeah, in today's culture aren't we all taught to take responsibility of our lives and careers? And isn't it "difficult" to get ahead in life unless we climb all over each other?
Me First.
You know what's interesting? Many a time we'll see in movies or in dramas about wars in olden days. And a common theme will always be patriotism. And we'll think of just how "patriotic" we Malaysians are and snigger.
Me First.
For some of us, we get "lucky". Our parents can afford education overseas for us. Or perhaps we get the opportunity to work overseas or migrate. And thus we go, leaving this country for greener pastures. Its easier elsewhere, they say. Politically stable. Better pay. Better standard of life.
Me First.
And for others, we just have to make do with what we have. We work longer hours at the office, hoping to impress the boss. We make snide manipulative remarks behind our colleagues backs, trying to get ahead. We "decorate" the financials at month and year ends, hoping for some credit. We keep silent when we see something wrong happening, hoping we'll be seen as "trusty" employees.
Me First.
Friends are not spared. We choose our friends carefully, don't we? They've got to be the elite. The same "social status" as us. We don't want to be seen with the geek in class or the plain looking girl at the office. We shudder to even think of shaking hands with the girl in class who's got AIDS and tremble at the thought of talking to the deformed guy sitting up front.
Me First.
We rationalise all the wrongs that take place in the world. Yes we do. With ignorant indifference we say that its ok to be gay and its ok to be promiscuous. Its all "perspective". We say this without even a moment's thought. I wonder how many of us would react if our own kids came home and told us "Hey Dad, I'm pregnant" or "Hey Mom, I'm gay". We hear every single year about how younger and younger children are starting to experiment with sex and various perversions. What do we do? Shrug, of course. Maybe a vague "What is this world coming to?" and we turn the page, more interested in Britney's latest adventure or something else.
Me First.
I could go on, but that would be beside the point. Yes I'm sure this is a highly controversial post. A lot of what I've just said is debatable. But I write from my heart. And I don't write without having thought a tad bit as well =) I probably might get flamed somewhat even but I don't mind.
There's a phrase that goes like this "You never know what you're alive for until you know what you would die for"
What would you die for? Perhaps when we've asked ourselves that and thought a bit, we'd see things in a different light. Maybe we'll even start to stand for something.
I stand for righteousness. I stand for making a difference. I stand for the morals and principles that our world was built on. I stand for love. I stand for peace. I stand for doing the right thing even when everyone around is doing the wrong thing. I stand for truth. I stand for putting others before myself.
I stand for Christ, the One who gave me freedom and the One who is the reason I am who I am.
Those are the things I would die for.
Me First.
You know what's interesting? Many a time we'll see in movies or in dramas about wars in olden days. And a common theme will always be patriotism. And we'll think of just how "patriotic" we Malaysians are and snigger.
Me First.
For some of us, we get "lucky". Our parents can afford education overseas for us. Or perhaps we get the opportunity to work overseas or migrate. And thus we go, leaving this country for greener pastures. Its easier elsewhere, they say. Politically stable. Better pay. Better standard of life.
Me First.
And for others, we just have to make do with what we have. We work longer hours at the office, hoping to impress the boss. We make snide manipulative remarks behind our colleagues backs, trying to get ahead. We "decorate" the financials at month and year ends, hoping for some credit. We keep silent when we see something wrong happening, hoping we'll be seen as "trusty" employees.
Me First.
Friends are not spared. We choose our friends carefully, don't we? They've got to be the elite. The same "social status" as us. We don't want to be seen with the geek in class or the plain looking girl at the office. We shudder to even think of shaking hands with the girl in class who's got AIDS and tremble at the thought of talking to the deformed guy sitting up front.
Me First.
We rationalise all the wrongs that take place in the world. Yes we do. With ignorant indifference we say that its ok to be gay and its ok to be promiscuous. Its all "perspective". We say this without even a moment's thought. I wonder how many of us would react if our own kids came home and told us "Hey Dad, I'm pregnant" or "Hey Mom, I'm gay". We hear every single year about how younger and younger children are starting to experiment with sex and various perversions. What do we do? Shrug, of course. Maybe a vague "What is this world coming to?" and we turn the page, more interested in Britney's latest adventure or something else.
Me First.
I could go on, but that would be beside the point. Yes I'm sure this is a highly controversial post. A lot of what I've just said is debatable. But I write from my heart. And I don't write without having thought a tad bit as well =) I probably might get flamed somewhat even but I don't mind.
There's a phrase that goes like this "You never know what you're alive for until you know what you would die for"
What would you die for? Perhaps when we've asked ourselves that and thought a bit, we'd see things in a different light. Maybe we'll even start to stand for something.
I stand for righteousness. I stand for making a difference. I stand for the morals and principles that our world was built on. I stand for love. I stand for peace. I stand for doing the right thing even when everyone around is doing the wrong thing. I stand for truth. I stand for putting others before myself.
I stand for Christ, the One who gave me freedom and the One who is the reason I am who I am.
Those are the things I would die for.
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