Please Help Me End This Nightmare

Originally published on my personal blog.

The message last Sunday at church was about how desensitized we were about the situation of our nation. At the moment we only think of ourselves and our families.

Whenever we see calamities or unfortunate events it’s just business as usual in the Philippines and at the end we can take action. We start with prayer and from there God will move (mostly through us).

It all starts with us. When we acknowledge that we’re part of the problem we can also be part of the solution.

The message ended. Since then I was bothered as I moved around the metro for my errands. What I previously did my best to shut my eyes to had been revealed to me.

I saw a kid helping his friend walk. I had to look down and see that his friend had a deformed foot possibly crushed from an accident or deformed from birth.

I had three plates of sushi for dinner. The family had a celebration. I went to bed full and had a nightmare.

I was in a city I was not familiar with and there were a lot of street kids. I had a companion with special eyes who could peer into the persons background (don’t ask me how it’s a dream). Cute chubby kid played with me and my companion told me that the kid had ten months to live. I hugged the kid praying for him and promising him I’ll take care of him.

In my mind I was telling myself shit I had a financial setback and I have no idea how I’ll fund this crazy charity. I carried the kid and asked him where his parents were. As we were walking toward his house I woke up.

The dream felt so real. My heart felt broken. Somewhat somewhere I have no idea where a four year old kid in the street has only ten months to live or maybe less.

We are more powerful than we think. We are blessed to bless others. There are no accidents. These are not just empowering quoted to be thrown around as your Facebook status.

Here’s what we can do.

Pray. Do you have no idea what to pray for? Start with what you see. Acknowledge that God will move and will use you to channel his blessings. The extra money you have this month isn’t there for no reason. Ask for wisdom in what to do next.

Feed someone. It’s not much but one meal or one snack can help someone. Whenever you leave your house bring some food with you. Give it to someone who you noticed who hasn’t eaten. You probably have a list in your head of places that offer cheap but filling meals. I have a public collection of places thar offer cheap and filling meals at Philippine Island Living. That’s no accident. Buy a meal from there and give it to a street kid.

I have 3000 readers on my all my blogs and I’ll post this on each one. If each of us does this then we have 3000 kids that will be fed that day. That’s not a lot but that’s a start. When I worked for Nu Skin they proudly announced to their distributors that they accomplished giving out one million meals. They are a big organization. Let’s start with a few hundred.

Google children’s hour, KIVA, KMBI, Real Life Foundation or whatever group you wanted to support but been putting off.

I don’t have a lot of spare cash but I figure 20-50 pesos a day to but a meal can make a difference for someone.

I have some other ideas but I’ll just talk about what we can do for now.

I like Tim Ferris’s idea about supporting charities that empower instead of just giving help. Everyone has to eat first and immediate needs first need to be met before we change the world.

You have a skill that’s useful or access to opportunities. Give it to others for free. If you’re in IT teach someone how to make money from what you do. You can teach them to get a job in your industry. I started that with call center training tips to help shy people get hired in a call center and with minimal changes to help average income earning people have spare cash, free time and a clear head by not buying stuff they don’t need. You can do something like that as well. Teach others your skills. If you own a business help someone start a similar venture and share the market. If you’re afraid help someone become your supplier and pay them properly. If you’re an entrepreneur you probably have several business ideas that you won’t implement because you don’t have the time or don’t need the money or both. Give it to others. Don’t just let it sit there. Share your business ideas.

During the last election Manny Villar set up the best tasting noodle and fried rice Siomai stall called Panda Mein. I interviewed the cute staff manning the store is not an employee but a student and it turns out that Manny Villar is sponsoring this business to his scholars. He had my thumbs up then. That idea was awesome. He had my thumbs up then.

I found out that he spent a billion pesos campaigning. I also found out the guy who won and became president of the Philippines used as much money for advertising.

These days I don’t see an open Panda Mein booth and I’ve been craving for their hoisin sauce on rice.

Here’s a campaign idea. If you have a billion peso campaign budget and you used that to help others instead of posters and tv ads and so on on the condition that it will be a secret how would you think that would affect your campaign. Think with me here.

It doesn’t have to end here. Promise me that you will take action. If you know a businessman or a politician can you pass this message to him or her? You don’t have to use me as reference. I’ll let you have the credit. When you do I’ll refer to you as a champion who vanquished nightmares. Do it for the cute chubby street kid who has ten months to live and his family. Do it to make the country a better place. I know you hate to see them live this way as much as I do.

There are probably more. Please share in the comments bellow.

Photo credit. Photo credit. Photo credit. Photo credit.

Written on August 27th, 2012 by Kevin Olega