No child, no matter how poor or underprivileged, should be denied access to quality education. All children should have equal opportunity to reach their full potential and strive to contribute to the betterment of their communities.

Back in 2007, a video was released in KATU ABC news profiling a school being built in Cambodia through American Assistance for Cambodia or the AAC. The video portrayed dozens of neatly dressed children, smiling over chalkboards, and learning from computers streamed by the school’s very own satellite dish. In this case, the fundraisers were American high school students from Overlook School in Washington who wanted to share the knowledge they had with those less fortunate. All the students needed to do was raise $15,000 dollars and they would build a school in their name, “Overlook” – 8646 miles (13,914 km) away in Cambodia. And what is extraordinary about this story is that the high school students did not stop fundraising for the Cambodian school. They hired teachers, purchased books, computers, and even traveled to Cambodia to be greeted as heroes from hundreds of Cambodian children.

The clip helped me to relate to the awesome donations from the creators of the Ummah Foundation who have funded a school in Cambodia The Mustafa Saeed Rahman School (#205) in memory of their deceased son. The ACC works with the Ummah Foundation to help those in need all over the world. With a fund of $24,000 there is the opportunity for schools like #205 to be further built and named after the benefactors.

The Ummah Foundation is acutely aware of the disparities between the rich and poor found in all parts of the world. The Ummah Foundation gives back to the community.

Water. Leonardo da Vinci said that water is the driving force of all nature. Everyone in the world has some access to it. All creatures need water from the dew on the leaves to the rain that drips into the ground to the great rivers. The balance of water is a tricky thing. Plentiful water gives rise to farming land, abundance of livestock and people while too much water leads to disasters. The movement of the water is different in abundance and sand bagging and moving to higher ground is often mandatory. So, too much water causes disasters and too little causes drought, illnesses, no plant life, malnutrition, parasites, famine and death. In my hometown of Portland, Oregon, every time it rains in Johnson Creek it floods. As long as one can remember it has not been fixed. Why nothing has been done about the flooding of Johnson Creek is a mystery but that is perhaps another issue to be explored.

Here in Portland, Oregon we take water for granted due to the abundance of it. Our annual rainfall precipitation average is 27.55” or thirty-sixth wettest in the nation. The Columbia River, the largest river in the Northwest, rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada and flows northwest and then south in the state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state of Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia River tides go up as far as the Bonneville Dam in the Columbia Gorge region. The tributaries of the Columbia River have always been an important source of irrigation, means of travel, leisure (boating), and food source (fishing) here in the Northwest.

When looking at the world, a lack of water these days can be baffling since the continent is made of more water than land. There is approximately 30 percent of the world in land and the other 70 percent of the world composed of water (sea water and fresh water). But only is 1 percent of the world’s water is fresh meaning stagnant water, lakes, wetlands, ponds, etc,. while the other 71 percent is salt water in the form of seas, oceans, and rivers.

However, when looking at other geographical areas of the world, abundance of water is not possible. Take for instance Africa. Much of Africa has inadequate supplies of drinking water. Due to it’s geological location, water evaporates faster than it can be used.

Water may be drinkable or referred to as potable or not. People die with no water within five days. Everyone in the world who breathes in and out has access to water. As mentioned before, it may be polluted water and loaded with bacteria but it is some form of water. The average North American uses 400 liters of water a day while those in developing countries get by on just 10 liters a day for their drinking, washing, and cooking. People are dying right now with no sources of water

One of the poorest nations in the world is Kenya. Did you know that one out of eight children dies before the age of five? Life expectancy is a short forty-nine years old. In 2003, 62 percent of Kenyans lives in houses with mud, dung, or sand floors, and 69 percent had no access to piped or potable water. One out of every thirty Kenyans is malnourished. That’s a huge 30 percent of the population!

The country brings to mind images of starving children and famine. Surprisingly, at one time in history, Kenya was a major food exporter. However, with the frequent famines in Kenya presently, this is not the case as Kenya has suffered from major droughts, food shortages, lack of irrigation, and shortage of food producing seeds.

What can be done to help those in need in places like Kenya?

Farmers need a good water source available. The common notion that huge water irrigation systems and higher agricultural technologies are a must is probably a misnomer and here is the reasoning. Most water directed toward human use goes to irrigation. Let us say 70 percent of it. However, only 1 percent of this irrigation goes to drip irrigation. Drip irrigation pumps are just one example of actually what the common small plot farmer needs. It is one solution, because, as stated before, it does not take a huge water source to begin farming. An extra one or two buckets of water from the same source is enough to get irrigation started. That will grow a small garden of vegetables with a three-dollar investment to make a nine-dollar profit by selling surplus vegetables.

However, in places of drought like Kenya, the water is so scarce that all of it must be used for drinking. But if there are just two spare buckets of water a day for in-coming vegetables, there is an opportunity to start irrigation. The use of irrigation pumps, particularly drip system ones, is suitable.

Please help those countries needing water. We need more irrigation technologies and drip irrigation pumps are just one of the many methods. Your donations to helping developing countries like Kenya are much needed. Will you help those in need by donating to the Ummah Foundation?

Rising above the poorest slums of Mumbai, India is the home of Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest business tycoon and the fourth wealthiest man in the world. His 27 – story home is called Antilia. It is unquestionably one of the most lavish and ostentatious structures ever built – costing over $1 billion. It has also been described as the Taj Mahal of 21st Century India.

In order to visualize what $1 billion means, here are some statistics:

One billion dollars would buy:

- lunch for 284,900,285 people in the form of McDonald Big Macs

- one gallon of milk for just about every person in the United States….

- 600 Bugatti Veyrons – the most expensive car in the world. (Each car costs 1.7 million)

- 714 new tomahawk missiles

Not only is the building itself a controversial eyesore among the people of India, the building raises questions about the responsibilities the most wealthy people have toward the common people. Mumbai is the most populous city in India with a total metropolitan population of 20.5 million and the fourth most populous city in the world. Does Ambani not see that he is living in a sea of slum dwellers? Many of the people in Mumbai have nothing; they have no shelter, food, or potable water to drink. There is not even a sewage system in place.

The issues raised for the richest man in India to reside among the poorest of the poor are abundant. First of all, his extreme insensitivity a lack of human caring for the rights of others to have the basic necessaties of living. Is it that the world’s richest man is emotional inept and so materialistic to only indulge himself while the masses cling to poverty and suffering? Has he lost all senses lack of control over spending? Secondly, could he be disregarding any moral code while indulging himself without care? What responsibilities do the rich have for our future? And finally, it is worse than the slums itself. It saddens the world’s humanity and makes the heart sick.

Can we ever bridge the gap between the rich and poor when this type of thing is portrayed in the world?

The Ummah Foundation is making positive and practical changes by supplying the poorest in India with funding from generous donations from people like you. The major components supplied by the Ummah Foundation focus on helping schools in general (uniforms, books, tuitions), microbusinesses (i.e., push carts for fruits and vegetables, rickshaws) and finally, health related issues. It is a dream of the Ummah Foundation to supply toilets to thousands of people through generous donations to the foundation.

When my mother came to the United States, she worked for the well-known Doctor Jonathan Salk – the researcher credited to finding a vaccine for one of the most devastating modern diseases in history. He discovered the cure for polio.

Here is a wonderful look into history where just DIMES helped to find a cure for a disease the inflicted millions of people. What is known as the “March of Dimes.” – people were asked to just send a dime to President Roosevelt. By the first year, extra clerks had to be hired just to manage the huge flow of dimes coming in. 1.8 million dimes were collected in the first year. By 1945, there were 20 million raised just in dimes alone. By 1959, the total had become 622 million.

So what was learned by this example in history? It took just ten cents to help eliminate one of the most feared diseases of all time…… Can you do the same for ending Child Labor – one of the most devastating human rights issues of our time?

The Three Major Issues Contributing to Child Labor:

1. Poverty

2. Poor schools

3. Old Attitudes

Poverty

Journalist Jonathan Silvers traveled to Pakistan in the mid 1990s. He wrote an article describing the scene. Here is a quote describing how he felt visiting a Pakistani factory:

“No Amount of preparation could have lessened the shock and revulsion I felt on entering of a sporting goods factory in the town of Sialkat….where scores of children most of them aged five to ten, produce soccer balls by hand for forty rupees, or about 1.20 a day. The children work eighty hours a week in near total darkness and total silence…..”

Poor schools

Schools in developing countries may be poorly staffed, under funded, and costly. Even public schools require fees for books and equipment. In Cambodia, children work in agricultural fields and often never in make it to school.

Old Attitudes

When Journalist Jonathan Silvers interviewed a Pakistani mother, she said, “When my children were young, I told them they must be prepared to work for the good of the family.” This suggest the old attitude that child labor is acceptable. Sadly to say, parents’ attitudes are sometimes the reason for children to pass on similar old attitudes as they have their own children. Thus, the cycle continues. An example of this continuing cycle is in India. Although bonded labor is outlawed, due to social attitudes it still exists.

Remember that ordinary people can make a huge difference.

I am so inspired by the generous donations of ordinary people to the Ummah Foundation. Help eradicate child labor and save our future for our children and their children for generations to come.

Children work at hard jobs all over the world – awful conditions – even in the United States. The most horrific/awful forms of child labor are summed up in the following:

Slavery – includes the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage, and forced labor. An example of forced labor is using children as soldiers.

Commercial sex work – children in prostitution and pornography

Illicit activities – the producing or selling of drugs. Children are sometimes involved in schemes where they help adults locate and lure other children.

Hazardous work – any work that is likely to harm a child’s health, safety, or morals.

Since the last category is the largest groups of child labor I.e. mining, construction work, deep sea diving, farm work — (exposure to pesticides and dangerous machinery)

Did you know that thousands of children are injured every year using farm equipment?

Every child has the right to learn and be healthy. Education is extremely important to ending child labor, and the global effort to ending child labor is extremely important. At the heart of the matter is the children who stand up and speak for the children who can not speak for themselves. Remember to teach your children the art of giving by setting a good example of giving yourself.

By giving to the Ummah Foundation, your donations will help in ending this sickness of epic proportions by providing that education necessary to keep children strong for generations to come.

One of the key concerns to ending child labor is ending the cycle of poverty. Parental poverty is one of the main reasons that children are forced into laboring into long, often dangerous and difficult work to support their families. What is an example of what we can do to help. Take for instance what Americans has done to help relieve the terrible destruction of world wide tsunami disasters:

According to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University:

“….Despite the highly publicized million-dollar gifts of corporations and celebrities, most of the donations to help the tsunami relief efforts [in Japan] came from gifts of less than fifty dollars made by millions of Americans across the country,” said Patrick M. Rooney, director of research for the Center on Philanthropy.

There has, in fact been very little news coverage over the donations of average households but the statistics are tremendous:

One-quarter of all the 106 million American households in 2004 donated to tsunami relief efforts. The median donation was 50 dollars, while the average donation was 135 dollars. In fact, everyday U.S. households sent a second tsunami of 50 dollars donations to repair a corner of the world 15000 miles away.

I am inspired by the contributions of everyday people. They are my personal heroes in the battle to end poverty. Simple things. A water pump, a bowl of food, bicycle, a goat, an irrigations pump – not only help one person’s crisis but ripples to help many — a family, an entire village, town, a country. Get involved! A little bit goes a long way. Donate to the Ummah Foundation and help change the world.

- Anthropologist Elizabeth Guillette, during an interview for E/Environment Magazine (July/August 2006)
Guillette is the same anthropologist and research scientist who discovered in a study in 1967 (and still continuing) that Mexican children exposed to farm chemicals demonstrated slower cognitive and physical development than children who were not exposed. Dr. Guillette also expressed concern that children exposed to fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides were not as creative in play and also about the long-term effects on their reproductive abilities.

“It’s been projected that if I.Q. decreases just five points across a community, you lose roughly two-thirds of your geniuses, and increase the number of children who are mentally retarded by two-thirds. This has huge consequences in terms of education care and medical needs. Also, it’s the children of today who are going to be responsible for our communities, nation, and world tomorrow. If we lose them, what are we going to do?”

Keep in mind that children are at higher risk from damage from pesticides. Their bodies are smaller and still developing. They are more likely to run barefoot through a pesticide treated lawn, roll on the grass, and even ingest pesticides from unwashed hands that played in the yard.

What are some of the solutions in your daily life that can help this pesticide problem?

1. Have an organic lawn
2. Eat organic
3. When gardening, pay attention to the seeds you buy.
4. When planting, choose native plants.
5. Most importantly, learn to live in harmony with the world.

There are millions of cases through out history where underage children are forced to work for sustained time. It is often in very hazardous and difficult situations. But what comes to mind when one thinks about child labor without defining it through googling it or using the “archaic” forms of the encyclopedia or dictionary? Here are some of my ideas that I have placed in chronological order.

What first comes to mind for me is the book, “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens. This book is responsible for many of the reforms we see today. .

In the South plantation owners bought and sold children as needed.

The American Industrial Revolution after the Civil War had children working in factories. After the factory work progressed due to long work hours and children working long hours, Unions were introduced. Some company owners tried to break the unions.

After the demise of the Oregon Journal, the present use of adults on motor routes ended the paperboy delivering newspapers in the afternoon on his bike route. This change ended child labor in that field.

As far back as I can remember kids would be out at six in the morning to catch the bus to the strawberry fields to earn money. With the influx of migrant workers and child labor laws, kids were no longer allowed to pick berries removing their source of income. This was a socially accepted practice that funded many a kids income.

Child labor laws versus childhood employment where do we draw the line between kids earning extra money and what is known as a practice of abuse?

What were you doing when you were in high school? For most of us, I can safely say we were not raising money to start a school in Cambodia. Its crazy to think that kids, age range from 14-18ish, could get the aspiration and have the heart to take on this task when cell phones, computers, and hormones seem to be taking over every teen’s life now-a-days. These kids from The Overlake School in Redmond, WA, raised $20k to have a school built for rural Cambodian children and have continued to raise money for teachers and school supplies!

Just to give you a little bit of back ground on the country, Cambodia, located in Southeast Asia, has a population of 14,701,717 (July 2011 est.) with 31% of those people living below the poverty line. At the turn of the millenium, it was believed that over 27% of the population was illiterate. Now, with efforts from these kids and other caring people like them, youth illiteracy is only 11-14%!

My favorite quote from the whole segment came from a one of the high school boys, “I want to take away the knowledge that one person, a high school student, could make a huge difference in someone’s life.”

I hope you were as inspired from these kids as I am! Do your part and donate.

See clip here