Recently, a news article shook our hearts. According to this article, people in remote areas of Africa and Ethiopia are suffering badly from ischemic disease. The doctor told the reporter that a severe lack of vitamin D is causing the disease to spread quickly. A large number of individuals are impacted, and some of them have died. It touched me deeply and reminded me that although we often take our health and nutrition for granted, countless people struggle to survive.
Our school administration also took this news seriously and intended to come out and help them. The next day, the principal spoke about this urgent issue and announced a fundraising drive to provide medical assistance and vitamin supplements to the affected communities.
The principal urged the student to contribute financially to the initiative. Furthermore, he encouraged students to volunteer for the cause. A large number of students enthusiastically intended to join the campaign. A group of teachers managed the preparations. They divided volunteers into smaller groups and assigned diverse tasks. Charity team leaders had the special job of guiding their teams, training new volunteers, and inspiring more students to support the fundraising drive.
I was eager to work for the campaign as soon as it started. So I gave my funds to this admirable charity. I realized that even if I couldn’t travel to Africa or Ethiopia, I could still make a difference by doing tiny acts of kindness and participating actively. This strong sense of obligation to make a significant contribution inspired me to put in more work for the cause. My main motivation at this point was to educate friends and neighbours about the situation and prepare them to help those affected. I informed them about the disease’s seriousness and how even something as basic as a vitamin deficiency was killing people there. Knowing this dire situation, they donated generously.
In those days, after school, I spent two hours every day with teachers and other volunteers making posters and donation boxes. To encourage more schoolchildren and the general public to donate, several team members created a variety of brief PowerPoint presentations to display in the assembly hall and other outdoor locations.
At the subsequent step, five teams placed fund boxes at nearby stores, while other teams set up stalls in different shopping centers to make the campaign a success. Our efforts paid off. Mall visitors appreciated what we were doing and donated. I encouraged my friends to join me in spreading the word. That same weekend, we organized a charity fair in a hall. We sold out our handmade snacks and sweets at the kiosks that certain team leaders were handling. In the center of the hall, a few friends sold handmade souvenirs to raise extra money. I walked around the fair all day, encouraging people to donate.
Regardless of it being laborious, I still didn’t feel fatigued from these efforts because it was fantastic for me to witness the joy and enthusiasm of the kids who participated and raised funds. In addition, I learned a valuable lesson throughout the campaign that kindness always grows when shared.
Our team worked diligently to spread awareness during the campaign, and individuals gave generously. The charity fair was a great success; since we raised a sizeable amount of money by selling homemade items for this good cause. I can’t fully express how happy I felt after working so hard for something meaningful. I am glad I chose to use my savings to aid people in need I had never met, instead of spending it on things like clothes or games. This experience brought me closer to further students and provided us with an opportunity to work together. I met so many people during the campaign and was touched by their kindness and generosity. Most of all, this act of kindness inspired me to keep helping others in the future.