Thecla Pereira

Today is World Humanitarian Day, a day to honor courageous humanitarian workers.

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit - Albert Schweitzer.

The power of human empathy, leading to collective action, saves lives, and frees prisoners. Ordinary people, whose personal well-being and security are assured, join together in huge numbers to save people they do not know, and will never meet….Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people’s places….We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” » J.K. Rowlin .  

There has never been a more urgent time to mobilise together for hungry children. Because right now, extreme hunger stretches from Yemen, to Somalia, to South Sudan, and into northeast Nigeria, 20 million people are on the brink of starvation. 

Whether you are interested in involving yourself in efforts or simply want to know more about the subject, becoming familiar with examples of humanitarian acts can be helpful in order to better understand how to assist fellow human beings.

Humanitarian acts happen at small, medium and large scales. For example, going overseas to help feed starving children is a humanitarian act, as is an individual giving a small monthly contribution to a local charity for the homeless or sponsoring a hungry child who lives in another country.

Across the world, people come together in organized groups to help provide for the needy, homeless, hungry and others in need of assistance. Save the children is a well known  group that works to assist children in need in areas of the world where there is not enough money for proper nutrition, medicine and other basic needs. The group collects donations and supplies for these children and sends volunteers to help them. Mother Teresa helped change the lives for people in Calcutta, India on a large scale. She worked amongst the poorest of the poor and established the Missionaries of Charity to provide food, medical care and other necessities for those in need.

Volunteers with  people who go to struggling areas to bring help and aid in the forms of education, health, youth and community development and more.

Not everyone in the world has health care. Therefore strives to bring medical attention, surgical procedures, vaccinations for children, etc. to countries that have been ravaged by detrimental factors in the environment.

So many people in the world are living at or below the poverty line.

Not everyone is able to be involved at the global level or dedicate as much time to humanitarian efforts. However, more locally-centered community involvement programs also allow people to positively impact other humans.