Social Awareness Project

My Mother in Mali

My mom is currently in Mali. I interviewed her over email about what she does for Unicef and what the situation is like in Mali.

Me: Who is in charge in Mali?

Mom: Well, in 2012 a terrorist group in Bamako, the capital city, took over and overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré. They appointed new officials but the north was taken over by many different military groups.

Me: What kinds of groups?

Mom: Everything from small bands of armed men and boys defending their own land to Jihadi rebels who have linked themselves to Al Queda and other terrorist groups worldwide. The northern area of the country is in anarchy.  Militia firefights break out constantly.

Me: What is the situation with children?

Mom: Children here have it bad. Most families are in poverty because of draught and famine. Diseases kill many children every day in Mali and few have an education. There is a hunger crisis and many children are homeless. It is a huge issue.

Me: What is the deal with child soldier is Mali?

Mom: In northern Mali, families often cell their children to militant groups for money to buy food with. These kids can be anywhere from 10 to 15 and can be bought for as little as $600. Also, some kids fight with their fathers to protect land and villages.

                               This interview reminded me of how good kids in America lives are. In Mali, your own family could sell you to a militant group where you might be killed for money so that they could eat. You most likely wouldn’t have an education or learn to read or write. Your family would probably be in poverty and you would be hungry most days with very little to eat. Life would not be as good as it is now, so remember and be thankful for what you have because children all over the world need help and wish they could have a life ½ as good as yours.

Source - -Elizabeth Kiem, 11/24/12

Misplaced Hate

Here I am

Beneath his boot

His cold dark heart

Colder than the deep bone

On a frosty winters night

But beneath each frost

Lies a spring bloom

Where buds grow fast

And tree flowers boom

I believe

The idea is similar

To the cold dark heart

From that cold dark winter

For every snowflake

There is a light bud

For every white night

There is a bright red cardinal

In wonderful flight

For every bully

There is a friend

One who cares and loves

The way that anyone can

Beneath each person’s hard outer shell

Lies a tender soul

That rings like a church bell

One that wants to be a friend

Reading Response on:

When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw & Other Stories

                               “When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw & Other Stories” is one of my all time favorite books. Supposedly, Fiddler on The Roof is actually based on these stories. I thought it was a great book to write my social awareness reading response on because a lot of the stories have to do with class barriers and bullying.

                               Throughout the entire book others pick on Shlemiel. In yidish, Shlemiel means “idiot” to some extent.  I think that the way he is picked on can be seen in modern day society too. For example, when Shlemiel is going to Warsaw he stops outside of a blacksmith shop to sleep for the night and points his boots towards Warsaw so that when he wakes up he knows where to go. The blacksmith decides to pull a prank on Shlemiel by switching the direction of his shoes when he was asleep. Shlemiel ends up walking back to his hometown rather than towards Warsaw. This sort of bullying happens all the time in modern times. Often people will give mis-information and it can result in a much bigger problem.

                               The reason I think that this book portrays bullying really well is because of what happens when he gets back to his hometown. He believes that it is a second Chelm, the town he is from, which is between Warsaw and the first Chelm. When he arrives everyone thinks he has gone mad because he keeps saying that all the people in the town look like the people from his Chelm but are actually copies of people in his Chelm. That one little prank pulled by the Blacksmith caused a huge problem. In fact, he was sent to the poorhouse because everyone in the town thought he had gone mad.

                               This book is so much fun to read.  I have read at least four times and I think it teaches a great message. No matter how small or funny a prank may seem or no matter how small that trick seemed it can cause huge problems for people and this book portrays that perfectly.