Give a book to a child

I was deeply touched by a story of a client today at work. Working as a hairdresser has the advantage (and sometimes disadvantage) of finding amazing stories. Stories that can inspire you. Stories that can teach you human kindness. The kind of stories which give you hope in humanity.

I had a long talk with a teacher. She has been doing her job for more than 30 years. Moving from teaching to a fancy highschool in the city to a "hood" highschool with kids from troubled families represented a major turn in her life. At first she was in shock. After that, she learned to relate to those kids and became like a second mother for them.
She had to deal with kids that don't know how to read or write. Kids who can't even afford a phone. Kids whose only meal for the day was thanks to the social program in school giving them a free meal per day consisting in yoghurt and a croissant. The only meal!

Unfortunately most of the kids are gypsies coming from separated families. Kids that don't know how to cope with what happens in their life. I was touched by the story of one child. His mother died of cancer last year and his father is diabetic and lost one leg due to the disease. The other older brothers are abroad and stopped caring. They live a life of their own. At 15 years old, the kid has to hold the house alone. He cooks, washes, cleans, and sometimes goes to work by the day chopping wood to make money. And with all of this.... He never missed one day of school! Ever! The teacher was so amazed by him that she decided to help however she could. Gave him a phone and sometimes bought data in order to allow him to watch discovery channel documentaries. He loves them. He is talented at history and drawing. He is smart, but it is hard to escape poverty. I talked with the teacher and we both agreed that going to school is a way of escaping the bad reality from home. School is a safe bubble. A place for the imagination of the child.

I am sad because I know that there are so many kids in such situations. Hungry, abandoned, helpless. Adults incapable of parenthood are having the seeds of life in their hands and destroy a dream. A child's chances in life. Bare necessities like food, clothes and education are a luxury.

I immediately thought of how could I possibly help somehow. So I have been hoarding my most recent National Geographic magazines for a while. I promised to someone that I will start to collect the magazine until that person will be published in a magazine with a photo. I strictly respected and I will continue to respect my promise. I will keep the first number of the magazine for this particular emotional reason and also the number which appeared on my bday (issue nr 202 on 02.02.2020. Cool coincidence right? ) and I decided I will give the rest away to this kid.

To help his imagination travel places through reading. I have already read them, I took joy, they no longer are of any use to me. I can't wait for the teacher to come back at the salon thursday and to give them to her.
Education is the most important thing. Imagination can help you escape a troubled reality. It gives you hope and wings to fly wherever you dream. You can think your way out of poverty and you can overcome adversity.
Kids do not need expensive phones. Expensive clothes. They need love. This teacher bought a cake for every child in the class on their birthdays. In many cases, it was the only cake in the bday they ever got. A birthday with no cake and no one singing happy birthday is horrible.... The kids were so happy someone cared that they made calendars and were counting the days until they would celebrate their birthday and receive a cake. Not from parents, not from other kids,from a teacher. A human being with vocation and soul. With a heart big enough to love all of these forgotten children.
You can't begin to appreciate your childhood, as troubled as it might have been, until you don't hear about others's stories.
Give a book to a child in need. Help them feed their imagination. Help them get educated and hopeful. The power to dream of a better future starts with education.
Educating children is building the future.

Have a lovely day and toodle loo!
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