Courage Is Giving Back Despite Your Situation
Murielle Andrea Blanco Ferré
I grew up in a lower-middle-class family, studied in a Catholic school and for a big part of my childhood, I lived with my grandmother. My dad was not in the picture since I was a toddler, so I lack the affection any other kid had while growing up.
I was always a very closed person, both emotionally and materially. I didn’t know how to show others my affection or help them when needed because I was lacking that in my life. I couldn’t even share food, old clothes or even candy because it felt like something important was being taken away from me. It made me feel poor.
As for my emotions, I saw no reason why I should show them, it was not necessary.
Many experiences in my life showed me that there was no good reason to be an emotional person. My parents divorced and my dad moved to another city, and my sister passed away only to name a few reasons why I built walls around myself to survive.
However…
When I was at my lowest I met with a friend from my teenage years. Soon after, I realized that he was the love of my life.
We started dating and today he is my husband and the father of my two beautiful children.
By the time my first child was born, it was like boom, goodbye fears!
The love that flows from you to this little person can’t be explained. Immediately everything you felt and feared goes away. And it is impossible not to love someone so perfect and not to show affection and love. Everything else seems to lose importance.
As they say "when you are the mother of one, you are the mother of all"
After being a mother, your sensitivity, and perception for other children, situations and the world in general changes drastically.
Some things and circumstances that I did not consider important before, such as smiling to another child, or noticing how many pregnant women were around me, became important. They started to take my attention until I started to notice a sad reality.
The country where I live is passing through one of the worst humanitarian crises in history, in which the most affected are children. Situations of child abuse, malnutrition and abandonment are common, so when I realized the need they were suffering from, I felt like I was the one in pain, and I wanted to help.
I learned that giving away a plate of food does not impoverish me, but for a child, it’s like gold, shoes for their little feet will change their lives, a gesture of affection and a hug feeds their hearts.
But what to do?
Today there are many non-profit organizations that are responsible for collecting food and clothing to help street children. What none of those non-profits can give these children is affection, love, and the feeling of being socially included.
I know I can help in many ways by bringing clothes to church and by giving some food to someone, but it is not enough. I wanted to do something transcendental, something that could be an inspiration for others, so they can follow me, not to gain recognition or fame but to help even more.
So I found out that a church in my community involved in humanitarian aid was organizing an activity to feed and bathe people in street situations.
My first experience of having to bathe injured infants was shocking. Some of them were sick, others were burnt by the sun.
Just in those days, I was beginning to follow @hellofears, and I felt so impressed and inspired with the way that Michelle Poler spreads her message to the masses and motivates so many people to take risks, to change behaviors, and to be a better human being.
So I caught that enthusiasm, and right away I decided to challenge my followers to bathe children once a month so we could spend more time with them, and obtain more information about their needs. I received a positive response! At that moment I thought of one thing only: To give, give, give.
On June 19, 2018, which is my birthday, we are going to bathe and feed children in the streets. They will receive clean clothes and toys. We’ll be doing recreational activities and spending time with them. Also, I will ask their parents for detailed information about their housing situation and schooling, among other topics.
My intention is to give partial adoption to 1 or 2 children and supervise their housing, food and schooling situation, and use these cases to encourage more people to help and be more conscious of the condition of poverty that these children are going through. I want to create a plan where any family can apply to do the same and supervise or partially adopt a kid, and with the help of the parents, being responsible for their clothes, school, food, books, medical attention, and all the aspects of life that the kid could need to grow happy and healthy and enjoy more possibilities as an emancipated person in the future.
Every child needs our love and attention, because they are the future of any nation, and the legacy of love and care is the most important thing that we can offer, so without the fear of rejection I invite everybody to leave their comfort zone and join this beautiful cause, because in my country it is not an option, but an obligation.
My perception of the world has changed, thanks to the love that my children give me every day. I know that I can give love to the world too, and the only thing I regret is not having started sooner.
