Make Change: The Darfur Relief Initiative
Bismillah.
I took the long route from work today to allow myself some time to think.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to think about or if there was even anything in particular but I just felt the need for some summer time contemplation.
As I got closer to home I started to think about my future and my future home insha'Allah.
What did I want in my house? I asked myself this question half-heartily at first.
Then...I began to really think...
I want my future home to be full of blessings and beauty. I want it to be full of life and happiness and comfort. I want it to be a sanctuary from everything ill-fated and uncomfortable.
Most of all, I thought, I want it to be a place of truth, honor and inspiration.
If I could create an atmosphere that brought out the best in myself, my family and my friends then my house would be the home of my dreams.
My phone rang...interrupting my thoughts. I looked down at my caller ID and next to my phone sat fifteen cents.
At that moment I new what I wanted...what I NEEDED in my home.
A place for my change.
But no...not just my change...a place for me to make a change.
I decided that I'd keep a jar sitting on my dresser, or my kitchen counter, or my entryway table...anywhere. I would keep all the change I found in my car, under the cushions of my couch, jingling in my pockets and I would place it in that jar.
At that end of the month or maybe even every few months I would empty that jar and donate that amount of money to a country where relief is a sacred word uttered only by the incredibly lucky.
My first initiative I thought...would be Darfur. With the inhumane and utterly disturbing things occurring in that region, I knew it was something I could not ignore and could never be excused for not doing my part to help stop the tragedy that is the lives of so many.
A dollars amount can help feed someone who has nothing.
I emptied my the loose change from my purse into the little butter container I recycled and labeled "Darfur Relief."
Two dollars. Two meals...perhaps for the child dodging bullets and hiding from rape on her way to a dirty pool of water for a drink.
I placed the container on my counter and explained my initiative to my family at dinner.
Quietly afterwards they reached in their pockets and pulled out change they didn't even realize they had.
Three dollars...four...five....as the change clinked and clattered in the jar I realized how so little..can make such a real difference.
With a smile on my face, I picked up my phone and texted my fiance. I shared the idea with him and he excitedly agreed to adopt it it himself and pass it on.
He thought...maybe one household can only produce a small amount each month...but if all our friends and their friends placed a little jar labeled "Darfur Relief" on their dressers or counters or tables...perhaps then something small could make a world of difference...
...make a difference in the world.
Insha'Allah.
With that being said...I'd like to make a proposal.
Grab any old jar or container and start putting your loose change in it.
Count it at the end of the week.
At the end of the month donate that amount to a relief organization helping to send aid to Darfur.
Though you may find that your donation is small...realize that there are many others doing the same thing Insha'Allah...part of the same initiative.
To see that difference...that collective spirit...feel free to comment with the amount of money you saved in change and perhaps we can add it up to see how big of a difference a small initiative can truly make.
We can all do something to help those in need.
Remember that the smallest deeds can be the most favorable and rewarding if done regularly.
Empty your pockets everyday and make change.
Be part of the Darfur Relief Initiative.
May Allah bless you for your kindness and may He make our hearts soft and gentle..and never allow us to turn ourselves away from suffering but rather face it with compassion and generosity.
Ma'salaama,
Wafa
I took the long route from work today to allow myself some time to think.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to think about or if there was even anything in particular but I just felt the need for some summer time contemplation.
As I got closer to home I started to think about my future and my future home insha'Allah.
What did I want in my house? I asked myself this question half-heartily at first.
Then...I began to really think...
I want my future home to be full of blessings and beauty. I want it to be full of life and happiness and comfort. I want it to be a sanctuary from everything ill-fated and uncomfortable.
Most of all, I thought, I want it to be a place of truth, honor and inspiration.
If I could create an atmosphere that brought out the best in myself, my family and my friends then my house would be the home of my dreams.
My phone rang...interrupting my thoughts. I looked down at my caller ID and next to my phone sat fifteen cents.
At that moment I new what I wanted...what I NEEDED in my home.
A place for my change.
But no...not just my change...a place for me to make a change.
I decided that I'd keep a jar sitting on my dresser, or my kitchen counter, or my entryway table...anywhere. I would keep all the change I found in my car, under the cushions of my couch, jingling in my pockets and I would place it in that jar.
At that end of the month or maybe even every few months I would empty that jar and donate that amount of money to a country where relief is a sacred word uttered only by the incredibly lucky.
My first initiative I thought...would be Darfur. With the inhumane and utterly disturbing things occurring in that region, I knew it was something I could not ignore and could never be excused for not doing my part to help stop the tragedy that is the lives of so many.
A dollars amount can help feed someone who has nothing.
I emptied my the loose change from my purse into the little butter container I recycled and labeled "Darfur Relief."
Two dollars. Two meals...perhaps for the child dodging bullets and hiding from rape on her way to a dirty pool of water for a drink.
I placed the container on my counter and explained my initiative to my family at dinner.
Quietly afterwards they reached in their pockets and pulled out change they didn't even realize they had.
Three dollars...four...five....as the change clinked and clattered in the jar I realized how so little..can make such a real difference.
With a smile on my face, I picked up my phone and texted my fiance. I shared the idea with him and he excitedly agreed to adopt it it himself and pass it on.
He thought...maybe one household can only produce a small amount each month...but if all our friends and their friends placed a little jar labeled "Darfur Relief" on their dressers or counters or tables...perhaps then something small could make a world of difference...
...make a difference in the world.
Insha'Allah.
With that being said...I'd like to make a proposal.
Grab any old jar or container and start putting your loose change in it.
Count it at the end of the week.
At the end of the month donate that amount to a relief organization helping to send aid to Darfur.
Though you may find that your donation is small...realize that there are many others doing the same thing Insha'Allah...part of the same initiative.
To see that difference...that collective spirit...feel free to comment with the amount of money you saved in change and perhaps we can add it up to see how big of a difference a small initiative can truly make.
We can all do something to help those in need.
Remember that the smallest deeds can be the most favorable and rewarding if done regularly.
Empty your pockets everyday and make change.
Be part of the Darfur Relief Initiative.
May Allah bless you for your kindness and may He make our hearts soft and gentle..and never allow us to turn ourselves away from suffering but rather face it with compassion and generosity.
Ma'salaama,
Wafa
posted by Wafa at 9:37 PM
1 comments
