There’s a massive level of desperation required to risk your life as a migrant at sea. Perhaps it’s difficult to see how it could go poorly if the boat has taken countless others across in the same manner. Or maybe it doesn’t matter. You’ve barely scrounged together enough money to finally make this crossing. To escape the poverty, the traffickers, the terrorists, the disease and certain death. You haven’t seen the statistics of survival. All you care about is surviving long enough to be free.
The situation isn’t exclusive to Europe. The US has had similar issues at our southern borders even with boats capsizing and killing migrants coming from Cuba or Mexico. And while I feel very strongly about immigrating the legal way I do think that we need to assess what we are doing with our funds to help those in need.
It’s not the West’s job to rescue the world and turn them into being just like us. That’s what makes the world so incredible and diverse–no one is the same. But what are we doing to make a lasting impact on those in need? Couldn’t there be a bigger pool of investors who were willing to hire the manpower to protect their assets in an unstable country in order to give workers a chance at a better life? Couldn’t there be just one government uncorrupted enough to allow the people freedom and punish the criminals? Instead there is a massive exodus out within Africa and headed out of Africa because of people in search of a better life. A life that isn’t guaranteed to be ended by starving to death or subjected to trafficking and exploitation.
What are we using our extra funds to help those in need? Mission work is great. Governments sending helpers is great. But it’s all temporary. Money can’t fix everything–in some regards it only increases greed and exploitation. But as we see human desperation, we can’t turn away and ignore it. If it was us, would we want the more fortunate to turn their faces and pretend like we didn’t exist? Or that being born into a poverty stricken area was our fault?
I know there are “wars” to wage on our homefronts. People with little food and housing. And we can look at the massive ocean of need around us and throw our hands into the air and say “what can I do?” I can’t fix it by myself. I’ve barely got enough to keep myself going. But yet, I still have food and clean water and a roof over my head.
Today, let’s commit to doing something for someone that will change their tomorrow. Maybe it’s donating to a charity. Maybe it’s dropping off food at a food bank. Or maybe it’s stepping into the poverty and investing into lives. Whatever you do, every little bit helps.
What do you do to change the world around you?
