Staff Editorial
“The weather here is ridiculous.”
“I am going to fail my midterms, I swear.”
“I’m so tired. I cannot wait for the weekend.”
These are complaints one hears a lot during this time of year. However, we do not hear complaints about serious issues like a lack of drinkable water sources or not knowing where the next meal is coming from. Things that actually matter.
For the people of Bethlehem, Uganda, these issues are very real and each day they struggle. We should be grateful to have food in our stomachs, shelter from the elements and a warm bed to sleep in at night.
By realizing that our tests, stress and weather woes are minimal problems by comparison we can gain a bit of perspective. And we have a chance to get involved in making life a bit better for these people.
“We have no understanding of poverty in this country compared to what is experienced in many parts of Africa,” said Dean Pauline Hoffmann, faculty adviser for Embrace it Africa in an email. The group is dedicated to serving the people of Bethlehem.
Embrace it Africa is entered in the Give for Youth Challenge. In the challenge, the top 20 “vote-getters” will be able to crowd-fund their projects. When the challenge phase is completed, Microsoft will match all of the organizations with up to $100,000 of their funds, according to a Notice Board email.
Embrace it Africa realizes the best way to help others is to give them the capability to help themselves. The adage, if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day, if you teach him how to fish, he’ll eat for the rest of his days comes to mind.
Sure, it’s thoughtful to donate your old clothing and canned goods, but that can only do so much. The reason why nations like Uganda have had such a hard time prospering is because they don’t have the resources to develop wealth.
That’s why Embrace it Africa’s methods are so effective. The give people the tools to help themselves.
Embrace it Africa’s project that will benefit from this funding is Milkwano Microfinance. The Mikwano Savings and Credit Institution, established in 2008, has successfully distributed 36 loans to the Bethlehem community in southern Uganda, according to GoodMaker’s website.
“Sometimes people need the tools to be able to maintain themselves and become sustainable,” said Hoffmann. “However, sometimes they do need seed money to start a business or expand a business, but that should be a loan rather than a gift.”
These loans go to improve the efforts of crop and livestock farmers and small business owners, according to the website.
By enabling people to help themselves, we are setting the community up with a better foundation. Maybe someday they will be in the position to help other impoverished nations, and – forgive the cliche – make the world a better place.
So take a minute to go to maker.good.is, find Embrace it Africa’s page and vote. That’s all it takes. A few clicks of the mouse, and you will have made a difference in someone’s life.
Stress and Western issues can make people crazy, but students should be able to donate a minute of their time to help a worthy cause. It will make a world of difference and maybe even save lives.
