Student urges others to join walk for Africa

I often hear these words from students: “Rene, I wish we could do more to help.” 

A critical component of our college education is becoming aware of others’ circumstances. 

In classes ranging from theology to economics, we learn about and discuss deplorable living conditions that exist around the world. 

Whether these areas are plagued by corrupt governments, economic despair, or chronic civil war, one thing is clear: The citizens of these countries deserve better.  Clean water, food and shelter should not be luxuries.  They are essentials needed for survival.

So often I struggle with the question of what can I—and should I—do?  Outside of community service here and there, and a meager tithe that goes to supporting a church and a children’s diabetic camp, my husband and I pretty much concentrate on providing for ourselves and our future.  Work, school, sleep, repeat.  How can I make a difference? 

I was pondering that very question while I was posting to Blackboard for a sociology class.  Wealth and poverty was the topic.  I was posting from a wi-fi zone in Downtown Disney when suddenly a crowd closed in around my park bench.  The mob was fixed on a man with a megaphone.  Drawn to the commotion, I abandoned my homework.

 “What is going on?” I asked observer Tiffany Huffman, a student at Fullerton College. 

“That’s Hanson,” she said.

“Hanson, like ‘Mmmbop;’ they’re still around?”

“Yeah, they are getting us ready for the walk.”  She shifted to one side, lifted her bare foot and wiggled her toes. 

“Before every concert, they walk a mile barefoot with anyone who will join them, for people in Africa.” 

She went on to explain that Hanson donates a dollar for every person who walks. 

Education, clean water, AIDS prevention, healthcare, and shoes: they support them all.  You pick where your dollar goes.  Huffman chose education.

I pushed through the crowd to hear Zac Hanson, of the musical trio of brothers, speak.

“It is up to our generation to use the tools we have to reach out and help those who cannot help themselves!”  The crowd responded with cheers.  I knelt down and slid off my shoes. 
Footwear in hand, I walked side by side with youth from all around SoCal.  With every contact of foot to asphalt, I though of those who can only go where their feet can take them.  I thought of mothers whose children die without clean water to sustain them. 

Emotions stirred in me.  The hairs on my neck prickled as excitement rushed through the parade.  We talked about possibilities and our hopes for the future.  Jessica Alani of Mt. San Jacinto talked about why she chose to give her dollar to healthcare, believing everyone has the right to be medically treated.  Alexandra Wysoki said that she believes in the cause of AIDS prevention so deeply that she chose to attend Chapman University after attending a walk on that campus. 

As I listened to the walkers tell their stories, I began to realize that I am equipped to help.  I have a voice, and I belong to a campus full of students who want to help. 

So I am calling all of you to action.  I am proud to announce that I, along with UMOJA, will be hosting a walk at Citrus College on Dec. 8 at noon that will begin in front of the library.  UMOJA is a learning community on campus that is designed to encourage students through the completion of their studies at Citrus.  The students of UMOJA work to better themselves and support others on campus.

As critical thinkers, students know society’s first obligation is to meet the most basic needs of its people in order to provide a foundation from which to grow.  This is why with our walk I have chosen to support water wells.  One well can transform a village whose women and children must walk miles each day to collect water, which is often dirty, filled with disease-causing bacteria and parasites. 

All you need to bring is yourself and a willingness to help.  Hanson will be donating a dollar towards a new well for every person who makes the walk. 

Some might question why we should be concerned with people around the world when U.S. citizens need help.  Yes, there are an infinite amount of things we can do to help our own people, but the reality is that there is a vast disparity that exists between the poor of America and the poor in the poorest of countries.  A child in Africa that is surrounded by a desert that is surrounded by a war zone cannot get to a shelter, receive food stamps, or walk to a water fountain.
 

They should not be forgotten.

If you have ever said to yourself, “I wish I could do something,” then come.  Walk with us for a cause that is bigger than yourself.  An impact cannot be made without the efforts of many.

We all have alert minds, open hearts, and the desire to make a difference.  Take action.  Join us.