Little girlThe big five-oh feeling has crept up on me all of a sudden. It seemed not so long ago when I was young and idealistic, my head filled up with grandiose plans of saving the world from itself and making a difference although my pockets were filled with nothing more than air.
I turned 50 recently and, in taking stock half a century later, I know for a fact that I haven’t saved the world from itself. Never even tried, no siree! Probably halfway through my life’s journey, I either forgot; had more pressing and immediate priorities like eating and earning money; or the idea was completely nagged away from my system.

Granted it’s a much different world than that I was born in. We are more mobile; we are expected to live longer; we communicate in new and innovative ways; and technology available today makes it ever easier and faster for us to do all the things that we do.

But the major problems that plagued the world 50 years ago still continue to do so now. We’ve gone to the moon and explored space, yet we’ve not eradicated poverty and hunger. Computers, the internet, mobile phones and satellite allow us to communicate at breakneck speed across the world and explore other cultures and peoples. Yet religious and cultural intolerance continue at a massive scale, and millions of the under-privileged still have no access to proper education.

There are other examples but citing them would just make this article longer and deviate me from my main topic.

Which is the issue of making a difference in some little way.

Thus I would like to take the occasion of my 50th birthday to launch a project that might hopefully affect the lives of 50 other people in a positive way. In particular, I would like to help 50 under-privileged children to be able to go to school and gain some education. I’m calling this my Fifty for Fifty Educational Fund.

Here’s how I see this working.

In the Philippines, as well as in many developing countries, education is, for many young people, a way out from abject poverty and the road to a brighter future. By helping to send 50 young people to school, the f4f fund will hopefully provide them with a brighter future which will hopefully again positively affect their immediate family.

It’ll take about ten euros a month to send one kid to school or about 100 euros a year. That will mean a total of 5,000 euros for 50 kids in a year.

That seems like a lot of money, especially just for the first year alone. But I’m committed to raise it in the following ways:

1. I’m starting the fund off with a 500 euro seed money from my own pocket.

2. I’ll be offering 50 of my black and white fine art prints for sale, with proceeds going to the fund.

3. I’ll be auctioning 50 various items either on eBay or on a local flea market again with the proceeds going to the fund.

4. And I’ll be asking 50 friends and donors to contribute whatever they can, and will match their contribution on a 50/50 basis. For example, if they donate 10 euro, I’ll match it with 10 euro, 20 with 20, 30 to 40 up to 50. (This is going to hurt, I know already.)

And, if the last one does not work, I may have to dig deep to come up with 50 more creative ways to raise funds for this project. Not an easy thing, believe me, especially for one whose brain cells are fading away one by one.

Also I have created a special website reporting on the status of the charity campaign, listing the names of recipients, fundraising activities, the amount earned or received and the names of the donors, should they so wish.

Finally, I’m making the first progress report of this campaign 50 days after my birthday, which will be on October 13 give or take a day or two. Hopefully there’ll be a lot of positive developments to report by then.

So help me make a difference. You can donate to the Fifty for Fifty Educational Fund by clicking on the donate button on the sidebar.

Many, many thanks fifty times over.

What Is Success?

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived -
This is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Note: Reposted 19 September 2006. Many thanks to Elizabeth for pointing out the typos.