Sophia Loren: Every day wasted can be the waste of a life

Jul 10th, 2009 9:08 PM EST
By Chris Scott

Bob Geldof guest-edited Sunday’s edition of the Italian publication La Stampa. In the coming days we’ll be posting English language versions of the featured articles, including this one from Sophia Loren:

They say once you go to Africa, you will always want to go back. I know they also say that about Paris and Berlin. I keep saying it about Rome and Naples. And of course I always go back there because Roma and Napoli are in my blood and eternally part of me.

Africa is not part of me and yet has always been a magic place, so far away, so different, so exciting. And frightening – I never thought I would ever have a chance to go to Africa. But I did go there and yes, it was a life changing experience for me.

The world promises to help Africa and Africa waits. Every day wasted can be the end of a life. Every hour is the final breath. Each moment more lights go out. The longer they wait, the more will perish. Poverty is not blameful. It does not make people bad or less important. It is cruel way of life. And yet poor people have given the world the greatest riches of art, culture, passion and leadership.

The life of one child could change the world. And to promise to help that child and not do anything is worse than refusing to help.

I was born poor. I understand the desperate need for food, not knowing where the next meal will come from. I understand terror and fear of war and the punishment of war. I thought I would understand Africa. It broke my heart. I held a small child in my arms as I once held my own child – after so many years of praying and hoping and believing that my dreams would come true. I am blessed with children and grandchildren. I am blessed with love and care and family. I can never stop thinking of so many like me, mothers, sisters, daughters, who have lost their love and family through the horrors of war, famine, disease and empty promises.

I am not alone here. Europe is full of us who have memory of that pain. The world is full of those like ourselves who survived that pain. The reality today is the pain is still here and we must support those now need us.

Africa will always give as numbers, percentages, statistics and comparisons, the poor, sick, hungry, the dying, the abused, the frightened, the forgotten and the old. One world unites them all: they are innocent victims. One truth will always divide them: they each have a name. They belong. They are not numbers. They are people like you and I. They also deserve every chance to make their dreams come true.

I cannot solve the problems and pain of Africa. But I can do something about the people living under the bridge down the freeway of my city. They also have no food, no care or hope. If I help here and now, maybe someone will also help someone down their road. The end of all our roads is Africa. Let us practice what we promise. Charity begins at home. Compassion can heal the world. If we as people lead, the governments of the world will have to follow.

TAGS: La Stampa July 2009

3 Comments

Ken Martinetsays: Jul 11th, 2009 10:54 AM EST

July 11, 2009 at 10:54 am

My wife always wanted to go to Africa – I never did. But one year ago I joined our parish team from La Canada, California, to visit Ghana for the purpose of developing a mutual friendship – mainly with the people in the north of that country. Our passion has been sparked by a visiting priest, Fr. Greg Dongkore, who is returning to his country this year after receiving his EdD. His goal has been to improve and enhance the availability and accessibility of education of the children of the poorer people in northern Ghana. We hope to continue to assist him through a partnership our St. Bede’s parish has developed with the Diocese of Wa. Yes, I visited Ghana with my wife and parish team and it was a life-changing event.

Several occasions and insights have changed not only my attitude towards the poor but many others on our team. The streets teaming with vendors – mainly women- carrying their goods on their heads in the capital of Accra was our introduction to our epiphany. But as we traveled further north the people were fewer, poorer and yet amazingly happier. Our hearts and minds will always carry the images of the beautiful smiles of all the young and old Ghanaians we encountered. We touched the leper and AIDS patient at a free clinic in Tamale, we saw the heroic work of providing food and education of Catholic Relief Services throughout the country, we experienced the women’s entreprenurial projects sponsored by Peace Corps members and local women, we were amazed by the people’s giving nature though they have so little themselves, but we also were shocked and embarrassed by the visit to Elmina Castle where millions of potential slaves were processed for their voyage to the New World.

Several consuming issues still rest heavy in our hearts – the loss of $12.5 million of funding for food from USAID this year, the unavailability of clean water for the people, and the inequity of education opportunities for girls and women. Our parish team is continuing our attention and help in these areas. We are in constant dialogue with the church in Wa. Our local children are beginning writing projects to share their lives and friendship with the children of Ghana. We continue to send video and internet communications between the two countries – we donated and left AV equipment in Ghana to facilitate our friendship and collaboration. We are cooperating to assist each other in our needs – theirs temporal, ours spiritual.

We are working hard to sponsor projects to give education opportunities to children – individually we are supporting children and youth by providing funds for their schooling. We are persistent in bringing the women’s equality issues into our dialogues – we have offered to sponsor a girls’ school. We are continuing to research the acquisition of bore holes to provide the very necessary clean water for the villagers. And we are sending and will continue to send books and household and hygiene products by filling shipping containers being donated by parishioners.

One idea I received from a fellow Rotarian that has promise is to develop clean water bore holes at girls’ school sites. The job of the girls and women is to travel distances to obtain the family’s water and carry it on their heads to their homes If the water sources are at the school sites, they can attend school in the day and carry the water to their homes when they return there. The loss of USAID for food is more daunting to us. We are continuing to research government sponsored programs and increasing our financial support of CRS. Education of the children is very dependent on the availability of meals at the school sites – it is the incentive for the youth to continue to attend school, it may be the only meal they have that day. We heard that story from our CRS guide that he, an orphan, would never had an opportunity to be educated had it not been for the meals he received at school. Today he travels the United States for CRS to get support for programs for the people in Ghana. He received a Master’s degree from an American college at great personal expense but is using it to give back to his people.

Ghana is making great progress but still needs our help as many other countries of the world do. Given the opportunity to visit such a country, do it – it will change lives, maybe your’s.

Debbie Ksays: Jul 11th, 2009 12:32 PM EST

July 11, 2009 at 12:32 pm

Thanks Ken for your well-written post. I am heartened by your personal sense of love & respect for the people that you have met in Africa and of your determination to make their lives better.

This is the sort of positive energy that inspires great things….and I think that you will do it. Please follow up with any Rotarian contacts that you have because they are involved in many great projects around the world.

And stay in touch with this Blog. ONE is an AWESOME organization!

Living Positively, debbie
http://www.mpwn-uganda.org