Buy Me Nothing, Buy a Child the World

I have completed my Christmas shopping and I have to thank World Vision for helping me do so. In previous years I've given to Blood:Water Mission on behalf of certain family members, but this year I decided instead of fighting the stores or slaving over a stove that almost everyone will receive a gift from World Vision. I chose Textbooks for my Landlord and his children, A classroom full of supplies for my little homeschoolers down South, a Girl in Need for my Boss and his family and help for a Sexually Exploited Child for my Grandparents.

Why those gifts? The children here are blessed with free education, sure the system has it's weaknesses but education, especially for women in Developing countries provides them with a longer, healthier life and ultimately a chance to have children who survive their infancy and are protected from affects of socially enforced ignorance. Sexual exploitation/trafficking in women and children is the third largest crime in the world and even worse it is considered relatively insignificant due to the shame related and our socially "open" beliefs regarding sex. The "Girl in Need" was the first one I saw in the online catalogue - I guess I believe the gift of life needs to be passed on to a sister in the shame/pain/struggle and given that my boss has been one of my biggest supports why not do it in their name?

So what can you buy me? Sure I "need" a new couch and a publishing contract, but what I would love more then those is the "Restoration of One Child Soldier." I've talked about my adamant pacifism and the destruction that happens when we pick up a weapon in the name of ___, it would be a beautiful way to restore a life and peace in just one life this year. I may not be able to have world peace, but one life at peace is still beautiful.

Photo I know they aren't related -but both speak to the same issue