Published on page A3-1 of the July 15, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
WHERE WERE you last June 21 at 4:45 p.m.? I was glued to the TV set watching CNN, anticipating Anderson Cooper’s newscast. It was a special telecast because, that day, CNN devoted its entire programming to World Refugee Day -- and Cooper’s guest was Angelina Jolie, who has put her fame to good use by calling attention to humanitarian causes.
She agreed to the exclusive one-on-one interview just five days after she gave birth to Shiloh Nouvel Pitt. She said she was tired, lacked sleep and was still nursing her baby -- but, she still looked radiant! In fact, she is even more beautiful now that she’s a mother!
I was transfixed to the screen when she talked about her other missions in life: Adopting children (she already has two adopted kids, Maddox and Zahara, and plans to adopt another one soon), and performing her role as UN ambassador.
Angelina travels at her own expense, reaches out to impoverished communities, and touches people’s lives. She shares how her experiences as UN Ambassador have changed her view of the world.
Desperate plight
Many of us are not aware of the desperate plight of refugees all over the world. Families have been driven out of their homes and uprooted from their homelands because of war and politics. Women and children are the most affected.
In Cooper’s report, he detailed his heartbreaking experience in famine-stricken Africa. Through his eyes, we saw how helpless children died of hunger.
Ironically, I was watching the touching CNN coverage while I was tending to my sick daughter, who was confined at St. Luke’s Hospital.
This reminds me of how blessed I am: If my child gets sick, I have the means to bring her to a good hospital, and I don’t have to worry because she is under the care of her physician, Dr. Alma Enriquez. My baby got sick because of something she ate. Elsewhere in the world, children fall ill and die because they have nothing to eat!
But, we don’t have to look far: People also die of hunger in this country. In far-flung barrios, poor families helplessly watch their children suffer, because they’re too poor to bring their children to hospitals. Perhaps Angelina should include our country in her itinerary. . .
Numbing effect
So, whether we see it on a newscast or hear about it from famous people like Angelina, we are always exposed to the realities of poverty and hunger. But they have become a “common” sight, and this has had a numbing effect on some people’s sensibilities.
But -- stop! They should also remind us that we are all connected as human beings, regardless of race. We are connected by our common needs: Clean food, water and living conditions, and good health
We should not waste the food on our plates. We should be more generous in sharing our resources with those who need them.
We can help build homes through Bahay Kalinga, or we can emulate Angelina by either adopting parentless children, or donating a part of our income to charity.
First pictures
Jolie admitted to Cooper that she gives a third of her income to her causes. And she donated to charity the $4 million People magazine paid her for the first pictures of her daughter.
Yes, we need more Angelinas. But, even without her megabucks, we too can make a difference. Always remember: Even little acts of kindness can go a long way!
