as sporean kids, we are blessed. all our worries seem so insignificant, so minute, compared to those of the children in africa. who worry about their basic survival. and to make it worse, the children in uganda, the child soldiers, they worry about being made to fight, to kill, to massacre. they are the forgotten, the ones who fall through the crack. the ones that that have been forgotten or forsaken, because they can't be reached, because they can't be traced and because they appear and disappear just like that.

these are kids who get kidnapped at age 8 or 9 onwards, and they kill for the lord's rebellion army. even when they come out or escape, they are mutilated, physically and mentally. thousands of lives have been ruined by the wars in uganda, congo and rwanda.

and so i hope, when you are safe, warm and happy this christmas, you will think about these children. and do what you can for them. be it a donation, be it getting physically involved. just because you come from spore, or from asia, and you're far away from africa, and you've never experienced such tragedies, doesn't give you the right to not care. i cannot understand how everything can be simply calculated in economic terms. just because its of no value to you, or of no economic advantage to our country, you just give up. give up on these fellow human beings.

the many youths around the world who have gotten involved in these humanitarian projects. they need not have lived through this. but they see, they understand that we are all part of this world. just because you come from a different part, or your skin is a different colour, doesn't mean you can just forget these children.

there are so many of us i know who are so capable, so brilliant, so resourceful. so why don't you put your efforts into helping these children. it doesn't matter how much of a difference you think you make, the fact that you step forward already makes a hell lot of difference.

invisible children. do check it out.

it is times like these i wish i was in the US. how i admire the attitudes of the students there. the self-confidence, the desire to make a difference and the fact that they don't let age or adults tell them what they can or cannot do.

i want to make my difference.