Helping the Ones We Can

The cries from the hut seeped through the village, keeping every man, woman, and child awake. All the villagers lay awake in their homes hearing the screams and sympathizing with the laboring woman. Just as the sun began to rise over the hills the screaming began to slowly rescind and it was replaced by the cries of an infant. As death drew near a life pushed forward.


When morning made its full appearance the village filled with paradox. Mourning for the life they lost, rejoicing for the life they gained. They said goodbye to a wife, daughter, sister, or friend and said hello to small bundle of whimpers and coos. The mother died, but the child lived.

When the mourning and rejoicing ended the cruelty of reality set in. The father did not have a large family and was unable to both work and care for the child. Some village women aided him in feeding the child some goat milk but he knew that wouldn’t last. The baby was already beginning to lose weight and he was running out of friends willing to care for her while he worked. He had to work to have money to provide for her. He couldn’t buy formula, he couldn’t hire a house girl to care for her, and he couldn’t buy her diapers or clothes.

It was pure desperation that brought him before the gates of the nearest orphanage three weeks later. He could find no other solution so he kissed his darling goodbye. He turned around and left his wife’s last gift, his first born, his daughter. He told the orphanage he planned to return for her. When she was older he could care for her, but for now he had to miss crucial years of her life and she had to miss growing up with her father.

A loving father should not have to miss seeing his daughter grown up because of the bonds of poverty. A child should not miss out on a childhood with a parent’s love because the money isn’t there. Yet stories like this happen every single day all over the world.

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do” – John Wooden

There are millions of children today who are partial orphans, complete orphans, abandoned, starving, sick, or just unloved. We cannot help every single one, but that shouldn’t keep us from helping the ones we can. Please consider helping one of them today. Visit our "How to Help" tab at the top.

- Megan