The plight of children worldwide tells us that something has gone terribly wrong with civilisation. Hundreds of millions of children are abandoned, neglected, starving, homeless, abducted, abused, and used as slave labour.

In major city streets, children fall into prostitution, alcohol and drug abuse, disease, and malnutrition. As recently as 2001, the UN Secretary General's report for the end of the decade included a stated aim to 'stop the recruitment and use of children as soldiers'.

The very fact that this is an issue in this day and age is shocking, and unfortunately, it is only one of the many ways in which so many children are being deprived of all semblance of a childhood.

Something Must be Done - Something Can be Done

I truly believe that individuals can create change. We all have to start somewhere.

I founded GraceWorks because I wanted to make a difference. I was led to Myanmar where the plight of children is nothing short of devastating.

My goal was to help protect these children, within the context of family and community, wherever possible. Each child has different needs - some need emergency and long term medical care, most need nutritional rehabilitation, all need educational opportunities and protection from economic or sexual exploitation.

However, they all have some common fundamental needs. They need to be loved, they need to feel secure, they need to be treated with respect and dignity, and they all need the opportunity to be children and to sing, dance, and hope.

The Children of Myanmar Lead Heroic Lives

They parent younger siblings even as they themselves desperately seek to survive. They are amazingly successful at what they do. It is just that, what they do is too far removed from what should be asked of a child

Whether or not we ourselves have children, we are all part of a greater family and part of a greater humanity. We have a responsibility to do something, anything and everything to change the world for the children of now and the children of the future. There is a call for immediate action...action in the now.

What do these children need now in order to begin their journey towards wholeness?

How can we provide a safe and comfortable environment in which they can thrive?

When we can answer the above questions, then we have a place to begin the road to change.

There are those who think that the task is so great and so overwhelming that it can't be done. However, if we lose our optimism...then we've already lost the battle.

Our beautiful children are our most precious asset, our most valuable resource...our little people will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Every child deserves to have colourful dreams, deserves freedom, and deserves to have a childhood.

It is up to us to pave the road to change.

Mr. Peter Simmons
CEO
Graceworks Myanmar Inc.

To make a donation to this noble cause, please contact us.