Today, on this 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, I am reflecting on prejudice and it’s effect on a child’s life.
His dream should be our dream for kids worldwide:
“…I have a dream
That my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
The potential of a child should never be determined by their skin color, gender, or country of birth. But it is…everyday worldwide. From the US to Laos.
In the world today, a child’s chance of survival and growth greatly depends on where they are born.
We must fight to ensure that every baby survives infancy, gets proper nutrition and grows to be a healthy child, goes to school and learns, and is able to reach her potential.
We must not think that poor children are different from our own, we must not stick our heads in the sand and ignore the injustice.
CleanBirth.org’s work in Laos is aimed at giving the poorest children the best chance of surviving birth. While this is an important step, we must do more to support medical and nutritional care for children. For example, we should train our CleanBirth Volunteers to address nutrition in their communities, where more than half of children are malnourished and suffer stunted growth.
Let’s shine the light of Dr. King’s words upon discrimination against children and become warriors in the cause of children’s rights.
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