What my shrieking niece taught me about fighting for child rights.
By Josh Martin
World Vision Youth Team
I visited my family in Ottawa recently where I got to hang out with my nieces and nephews. Man, kids have a lot of energy! They bounced off the walls, threw toys around the room and made more noise than fans at a Justin Bieber concert.
I managed to pin down my niece, Rowan, long enough to ask her how school was going.
“Good,” she replied, squirming away and then shrieking with laughter down the hallway. She returned a minute or two later and I assumed she had more to say about school.
Nope. Flying head-butt to the stomach.
I asked my Mom if we had been this wild when we were kids. She simply nodded her head and said, “Oh, yeah.” Considering there are eight kids in my family, my Mom must have been one tough cookie.
CONNECTING THE DOTS
My nieces and nephews have opportunities that millions of children around the world don’t get. When we kick them outside for being too noisy, they get to play in the backyard without worrying about stepping on a landmine. They get to go school. They have so much energy because they have access to plenty of nutritious food and clean drinking water. They get to play with their friends instead of working in a brick factory. They get to be kids.
And all kids deserve the chance to be kids.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: LET KIDS BE KIDS
All kids should have a fun and healthy childhood. Join the “Let Kids Be Kids” campaign on November 18th to help children have clean water, good food, an education and safety from exploitation. Click here to get involved.
Click here to learn more about the issues.
