Yesterday Britain, together with several other countries and Bill Gates, clubbed together to raise 4 Billion dollars, pounds or euros, to ensure that children of desperately poor families in the Third World will get vaccines to protect them from diseases which are not known in our affluent society, and to save their lives.
Remember, we are talking about the lives of thousands of children who would otherwise never grow to adulthood. So it was particularly sickening to see vox pop on the BBC saying that this was a bad business -sending money overseas to save lives - and that charity should start at home. Even when home, even for the poorest people there, is immeasurably richer and healthier than for these poor kids who, if they survive, will be living in conditions worse than those experienced in Europe during the Dark Ages? I just hope the talking heads I saw were not representative of the general populace.
We can and should do more. And we don't need to wait for governments to do it for us. Do you know that today - and every day - 4,000 children will die because they drink dirty water. £2 a month from you will save one of those children.
I know times are hard, but they are not, and never will be, as hard as they are for these poor people. You could give up a pint of beer per month, or walk a little and save a couple of litres of petrol (and benefit your own health). Can you imagine what a buzz you will get from knowing that you have saved the life of a child?
WaterAid has one objective - to provide clean water to communities who otherwise never see any. You can find their website by clicking here
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