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Today is Valentine's Day. Regardless of what I think about this day, let me tell you how one of my friends celebrated it. She went to a local orphanage and spent some hours with the kids. She gave them balloons and chocolates to express her love. What a beautiful gesture, isn't it?
There are 48.3 million orphans only in Africa, (www.uneca.org). There are 143 to 210 million orphans worldwide and everyday 5760 more children become orphans. Approximately 250,000 orphans are adopted annually and each day 38,493 orphans age out of the system by age sixteen with no family to belong to and no place to call home, (http://skywardjourney.
Our children, our world. The idea states that the orphans are not alone and they have relatives, i.e., us and we are their family.
The organisations that work for the orphans do a great job in providing them the basic needs of life. Orphan's day is celebrated in many institutions and by several organisations in most parts of the world. The idea is to give these children a good joyful day. I witnessed during an event for orphans that these kids really enjoy the activities and its a real nice gesture to spend sometime with them. They get to know that there are people who care for them and they can get the family love as well. But, having the thought that this is going to last only one day, once or twice an year, makes them sad. They are happy and they do enjoy, but you stay with a child for sometime, play with them or do things for them that amuse them, and then eventually you call it a day, only then you'll know what I am talking about. That face, that little sad pretty face, breaks my heart. Its like they don't want you to go but they don't say it out loud because they know you won't stay since they tried this sometime in the past or may be they have been told so not to say such things.
I can't even think of having the most painful feeling of not having or losing a parent. If someone has this feeling in such a young age, how would they survive and how would they let the hope of life and betterment still live inside them, are the questions I am sure most of us can never answer. Hope is what all these kids have. But their hopes are shattered every now and then. Can I save the self-respect, self-confidence and hope of such a child? Should I be visiting them?
I am quite moved from what my friend did. She taught me that we should never forget the ones in need in times of happiness & joy. I wish we could make this a habit: "Always share with the needy, when you have!"
I want you to sit back, open your heart, clear your mind and take a moment to think about an orphan and ask yourself, don't they deserve more? Don't they deserve you? What's the reason of you being successful in life? May be ALLAH is giving you the opportunity to help others, hmm?
The welfare organisation are doing an amazing work to help these kids. May Allah bless them.
What could be the best help for orphans?
Personally, I believe that the events and activities arranged for the orphans should be appreciated and acknowledged on higher levels. But the best help that you can give an orphan is to give them "parents", the love they deserve.
Look around you, find them, do as much as you can for them. The feeling that grabs your heart when you see a smiling face (you helped) is true happiness, a feeling no words can describe.
I leave you with a question: What can you do for orphans?
"Stand up and look around your neighborhood,
You may find some children with no childhood."
"Save an orphan's hope and you will save a generation."
Umer Fiaz Abbasi
( I do not intend to offend or harm anyone's feelings. I write what I feel, if I'm wrong please help me to correct myself.)
(Photo: hiebert5inperu.blogspot.com)
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