Every day, there are children brought into the world, without a home, without food, without the possibility of an education, indeed without any hope at all. Every day children are born who need love and care. This may seem obvious, but these days when the world seems to focus on means of entertainment, strategies to make money and ever better ways to fight a war, it can do no harm to pause and consider these children for a moment.
Society tends to idolize football players, movie stars and politicians, we place them on their pedestals, they become our modern day heroes and often given the role of an icon to be worshipped and whose looks and style are eagerly imitated.
But there is another kind of hero. An un-sung hero, one that remains anonymous and never makes it to the prime time news. At most, they get a tiny mention in the local newspaper, if their family or a friend takes the time to write one for them. Nevertheless, it is this sort of hero who represents a real example to the rest of us; it is thanks to them that the world can truly change. Unrecognized and unrewarded they work on unselfishly.
Let us pick one of those heroes and put her in the spotlight, for just a brief moment, before she retreats back into anonymity.
Her name is Nicky. She was born in the United Kingdom and has just turned 23. Like millions of other young Europeans she was given the opportunity to study and after receiving her degree, she could have started a legal career. She decided not to. Nicky opted for a one-year job as volunteer with the street children of Honduras. No reward, no status, no career. Or was there?
Nicky’s reward is a hug of that ex-street child; her status is the sincere respect and appreciation of the people around her. Nicky’s freely given time and effort has become a career following her promotion to become the manager of ‘Las Flores’ center. Because she realized that a year was not enough for her. Thanks to the experience that she has gained, her perseverance and her wholehearted belief in the children, she now has the ability and the inspiration to further develop Las Flores.
By putting Nicky in the spotlight, we by no means want to diminish the work of others. There are thousands of people like her. It is through their efforts that the changes that we all long for are truly being realized.
Let us think for a moment about the educators across the world that offer their time, love and energy to the children of the streets, for a salary that most would consider an amount to be left as a tip after a meal. Or let us think of the people who make it possible that Homeless Child and thousands of other foundations have the opportunity to thrive and flourish. People who donate money with no conditions and without asking for praise, or those who maintain our website, translate documents, organize events and much more.
Everyone can do their bit; no one needs to fear that their contribution ‘won’t change anything anyway’. It is the silent deeds of many that offer greater effect rather than the loud words of a few.
Now let us conclude with the greatest heroes of all: the Children, big and small. Those who are neglected, maltreated, beaten up, and abandoned. Their souls are diminished, their confidence torn to pieces, their future strangled at birth. But their hearts are still beating and their love for life is stronger than their temptation to surrender to an early death. It is they who work hardest and who contribute most.
We are grateful for the privilege of being a voice for those on this planet who are never heard when they try to speak. The children of the street cry out for attention but in our world the shrill voice of a child is all too easily reduced to a smothered whisper.
Give a child a chance, offer the world some balance.
Homeless Child
The inspiration for this article comes from Ana Tower, an American woman who moved to Honduras five years ago and who runs a nutrition center and two orphanages there. Thanks to the work of Ana and the people around her, dozens of small children are saved from a premature death every year. Ana is also one of those anonymous heroes who make the world a better place to live. Thank you Ana! If you wish to know more about Ana’s work or if you would rather volunteer with infants and toddlers than with street children, feel free contact us at info@homelesschild.org.
