Light a Candle in the Dark

Have you ever read this quote?

“It is better to light one candle than curse the darkness.”

In the past I've written about my anger over the violation of civil liberties and human rights. I've been frustrated over the war and...There I go again. There's no need to repeat what I'm unhappy about.

This quote about lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness is beginning to sink in to me. Do you ever get tired of hearing how bad things are in the world? I know I do. If you want to light a candle, here are a few ideas.

End Extreme Poverty

It’s really hard to get our mind around, but somehow more than 1.2 billion people live on less than one US dollar per day. That’s one in five. While intellectually I can accept that, it is hard to get a picture.

A friend of mine recently returned from India and she told me this story. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip ahead. She said she saw raw sewage running down a street. As she passed in a car, a woman stooped down and scooped up a tin can full of the sewage. She asked the driver what was going on. He told her that the woman was getting her supper. That was what she was going to eat that night. And there are millions more just like her.

ONE.org was formed to address the following issues (click here to see more details):

· HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
· Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
· More and Better Aid
· Education for All
· Clean Water & Sanitation
· Trade Justice
· Debt Cancellation
· Maternal and Child Health
· Corruption
· Food
· Orphans
· Housing

You can join a local chapter of ONE like this one in Cedar Rapids, IA or you can start your own group.

Lend Your Learning Skills

A lot of people who read this blog have teaching and training backgrounds. Here’s a way that you can have an impact on a third world country without ever leaving your home.

LINGOs, Learning for International Non-Governmental Organizations, works with NGOs to increase their efficiency through better learning. They have thousands of volunteer opportunities, which you can read about here. If you contact them, you will find a way to help from your home. They will provide everything you need to help.

Find Your Own Way

If you haven’t yet found a volunteer opportunity that works for you, then check out Idealist.org. At Idealist you will find over 65,000 organizations, more than 11,000 volunteer opportunities and even 6,500 jobs with non-profit organizations. If you’re serious about lighting your candle, then there are plenty of chance to do so.


Bobby Kennedy said, “Some men see things as they are and say, why; I dream things that never were and say, why not?” Why not light your candle today? Why not join together with others so that your light is much brighter? Maybe someday the world will be less dark and we can look back and know that we made a difference.