Don't ask little of me

Don’t ask little of me, you might get it.

Aphorisms can say it all. Large ideas and big goals have a force that lifts us with energy. When I was growing up the problem of world hunger seemed massive and unsolvable. Jeffrey Sachs reports that a generation ago half the world’s population lived on less than $1 a day, but now this proportion has shrunk to one-quarter. At the same time, world wealth has grown massively.

Students at St Judes with gifts for orphans and hospitals

What was once an overwhelming problem has become a large-but-manageable problem. Let’s redefine it like this, big-but-doable, and give ourselves the energy to tackle it meaningfully.

And while we are re-orienting our thoughts so that we are prepared to give some of our surplus to helping the poorest people get a foothold on the ladder of prosperity, let’s keep in view the courage and hard work of the desperately poor. They do not have the luxury to ask little of themselves.

The children who attend the School of St Jude come to school eagerly. They stay after school and come again on Saturday for extra tuitition. They are ready to learn.

The most exciting thing about St. Jude's is that the kids LOVE it! They love going to school and they take pride in everything they do. I have watched my sponsor kids go from very shy, hesistant kids, to outgoing, enthusiastic students! I enjoyed the opportunity I was givien while working with Students for International Change, to find children within the community who would fit the profile. I love that the school is the best in town, but strives to reach out to the less fortunate.

Laura Hartstone, USA

So, I would encourage you to open a window to new perspectives and new ideas. Let the energy of new challenges refresh you.

Help the next generation of Tanzania children get a foot on the ladder of prosperity. Their own hard work will take them up the following steps, if only they have the chance to start.