Just as I was finishing up reading Cool It, I got mail from Save the Children. I've been a supporter of their work for a few years now. They were offering a reduced rate to sponsor a child: $18 per month, instead of the usual $28. Well, here was an opportunity to help people in the Third World right now (rather than decades from now), and at a bargain price too. I've become the sponsor of Shaymaa, a nine year old girl in Egypt. In the packet they sent to me was a sobering summary of the area she lives in:
She is in primary school right now, so I guess she is one of the lucky ones who doesn't end up out of school and working the family farm. I hope that, with a little help from me, she can continue her education and have a brighter future. I've just sent her an e-mail, but I'm told it may be months before I get a reply from her. When I do I'll post it here.
Malnourishment is 37%, and intestinal worm infection is nearly 30% for children under 5 years old. School enrollment drops in the primary level to 15%, especially among girls. Agricultural activity is practiced by 89% of the population. Illiteracy is about 65% and percentage of university education is nearly 7%.
She is in primary school right now, so I guess she is one of the lucky ones who doesn't end up out of school and working the family farm. I hope that, with a little help from me, she can continue her education and have a brighter future. I've just sent her an e-mail, but I'm told it may be months before I get a reply from her. When I do I'll post it here.
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