Anyone who has been hanging around at our Place Called Simplicity for any length of time knows that we are passionate for the orphan.   The 163,000,000 treasures scattered around the world.  
Many living in deplorable conditions. 
Most hungry day after day.  

One of the reasons we began International Voice of the Orphan was to call people to the needs of the orphan.  
To be their voice.

We just kept thinking that there had to be simple
 {ya’ know, ‘a place called simplicity’}
ways for people to get involved.  

Because we really, truly believe that 
most people want to do something.  

They just don’t know what to do.

We knew we had to do something.
And we knew that others would want to join in.

After all…

there are kids all around the world starving…

When Emma and I were in Africa bringing Ruby home, 

we walked a lot.

There is something very beautiful about walking 

the streets of Kampala.  It is so polar-opposite of 

the streets anywhere else I have personally 

traveled in the world, even other foreign countries. 

The people, the merchants, the taxis, the boda-bodas, 

the noise, the smells, the children:
all of it so rich in African culture. 

Emma and I tried to pack food anytime we went anywhere, 

just in case we happened upon a little street boy or girl

begging for something to eat.

On this particular day, I had my camera out, yet kind of tucked in enough that I could video a bit without it being visible.  My motive for videoing that day was simply so I could show my kids what it was like where we walked.  I was going to try to record the ‘sidewalk’.  All of us in the western world even take smooth sidewalks for granted. We forget to appreciate that {for the most part} our sidewalks and roads are fairly unobstructed}.  We walk with ease.  Not so in most third world countries….
and definitely not so in Kampala.  

The “sidewalk” all uneven from pot holes oozing with muddy water, metal poles sticking up out of the ground for no apparent reason and lots of debris line the crowd-filled streets. 
I wanted my kids to feel it as though they were there.

When suddenly, without any warning, we happened upon a little treasure with giant brown eyes holding her {or his}
 hands out for something.

Coin.

Food.

Anything.  

Begging.  

I stopped, and fumbling through my purse I found a piece 
of bread I had saved for such an opportunity.  

All I could think was, “When was the last time you ate?  
Really, truly ate?  Where is someone who cares for you?”  

All alone on the side of one of the busiest 
roads in Kampala.  

Needing

someone 

with 

skin

on 

to 

care.

As you can see from the video, I hadn’t seen her until I had clearly passed her, so I the video on my phone caught the lining of my purse as I stood rummaging through my purse to find the piece of bread I had tucked inside earlier.
No sooner had I given her the bread and walked
 a bit farther down the street, there he was. 

Smaller than her.

His eyes.

Did you see the look?

We walked about 25 feet further and there was yet another little one.

Can you even imagine?

Every single day their lives are the same.  
Hungry.
Lonely.
Sitting quietly hoping for food.

There is no “tomorrow this will all end”.  

I get sick to my stomach thinking of the times I’ve complained about food.  Even just complained in my heart.

“I had this recently and don’t feel like it.”

“It’s already cold.”

“It’s dry.”

“It’s too mushy.”

  “I don’t like the texture.” 

Or how about this one:

“I’ve had this somewhere else before and I liked it better there.”

Can you imagine this one ever complaining?

This little treasure is exactly why we are so passionate about our 
Front Lines 
orphans-on-the-street feeding program. 

This is a perfect video to show your kids, your husband, your co-workers, your neighbors to begin the discussion…although it is raw and unedited…it conveys it perfectly.  
A snippet of the real world.

What can someone do for the orphans around the world?
1. Make little bags to be taken by the next GO June 2012 Team…
{Emma will be posting a ‘how to’ on her blog tomorrow.}


2. Make a piece of art or craft and mail it
 to the Orphan Wares site.

3.  Make purchases from the Orphan Wares site.

That’s just a few ideas of things we do around here.
There are a zillion other ideas…

The need is huge to just do something.