I spent the morning looking at photographs of children in Liberia.
I love the expressions on children’s faces. When you put a camera in front of them, they usually do their best to be silly, shy or grab the attention of the photographer.
It’s a phenomenon as old as time that children have a resilience to disaster unlike most adults.
Don’t get me wrong: children feel pain, they shed tears, they scream at the sky for answers…
But…
When you look in the eyes of a child after a disaster , there is perseverance, knowing, and a hand grasping for what is left of innocence.
These children who we are seeking to help, I believe, will bounce back from the Ebola epidemic and the scourge it has left behind.
The one thing these children need is someone to care. If you leave a child to wander the streets like an unwanted dog, he or she will revert to primal instincts. We don’t need more street kids in our world!
Isn’t it better to reach into their world and offer what assistance and encouragement that we can?
One of the orphanages that “Fill in the Cracks” plans to send assistance to is asking for basic stuff like toothbrushes. I realized that I take brushing my teeth for granted.
Bandages and alcohol are also available for money, but money is not in an abundant supply. You are hearing on the news that large donations (from governments and businesses) is flowing in to help. However, the donations that come from large donors are specifically earmarked. I assure you the small orphanages sadly fall between the cracks. Sadly, the usual small donations that normally come in after a disaster are not coming in. Being in the non-profit sector for more than 20 years, we counted on the small donors to keep us alive. We had one elderly woman who sent us $5 each month. It was always there as were her comforting words and prayers. Right now what the orphanages (and organizations set up to help orphans with education) need is the steady inflow of donations; even small bits are encouraging.
What we will do with “Fill in the Cracks” is try to raise awareness and money to send to these small overlooked orphanages and send them what they need. We also hope to send large doses of encouragement.
How can you do that? Write, paint, or buy the work of one of the people who teams up with us. We also hope to get together families and have school age children write a little story or draw a picture. Love is a powerful thing that stretches across the world.
We can take a shot at overturning this Ebola crisis. Let’s make a big effort to share kindness with the next generation.
If you are a writer, artist, photographer, poet and would like to contribute to upcoming work, please contact us at fillthecracks@gmail.com
~ Coordinator: Leslie Moon aka Moondustwriter
The wonderful Visionary Press has our backs on this project.
Toothbrush photo:
.http://doctorcausey.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/toothbrushes.jpg
Today’s prompt at WordPress DP Challenge is <a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/ready-set-done-5/”>Ready, Set, Done</a>. Take 10 minutes and write without stopping and edit if you choose.
Fill the cracks 
Hearts and souls are what we need to help. Care. Children are defenseless. Adults are not!
Blaze
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