December the 18th, is a typical depressing wet, cold and bleak winters day. At 6.50am, as I made my six minute walk through our local park to the gym, white frost and ice provided a scene, one would could only associate with Siberia. As I made my way later in the day to the town centre, there were plenty of market stalls trying to sell their goods, but not plenty of people showing any eagerness to make any purchases. I went to get my lottery tickets from the busy W.H.Smith retail store chain, and I mentioned to the lady serving, How many stalls were filling the Main Street? The lady said, acknowledging and smiling, she got everything from Amazon. That one word Amazon echoes with how shopping has changed dramatically over these past years. I went into the bank, and for the last three years by the front of the bank counter, a large basket held tins of food of all descriptions. These were donations from generous people, who gave to help various food banks in the town, who distribute food to many people unable to get through their week, because of lack of funds. The same situation is happening all around our country. No one else was in the bank, and I said to the lady serving, this food bank collection point, never existed a few years ago. Then she mentioned her visit to Manchesters large Christmas market and the people sleeping rough on the pavements there. She also said, someone had thrown a lit cigarette into a sleeping bag of a sleeping occupant. She said her husband quickly removed it. I followed by saying, when I’ve visited my daughters by train, I counted twenty rough sleepers from the station to Albert Square in the centre of Manchester. It’s estimated, there are 500 entrenched rough sleepers in Manchester, but the reality is told by other organisations, it’s double that figure. Manchester is the third largest metropolitan economy in the United Kingdom. According to the housing charity Shelter there are 320,000 homeless people in Britain which accounts for a year on year increase of 13,000 people.
As I write this blog, I can hear the wind and rain hitting the window this evening, how can you ignore some of these situations I write of. I saw disturbing news on the TV on Monday evening, showing the most terrible disturbing scenes of thousands of children and migrants on some of the Greek islands. In a migrant camp on the island of Lesbos, it say’s there are 1,061 unaccompanied children living in inhuman and degrading conditions, of extreme squalor in cold atrocious winter weather. Most of these children are suffering from anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches with many doing self harm to theirselves. Official statistics show there are about 5,700 such unaccompanied children in Greece, escaping wars, from Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and other countries. Many of these migrants have risked their lives to reach these Aegean islands trying to secure a better future for their children. On the island of Samos a camp for migrants was built for 640 people. The total in that camp is now 3,745 migrants. The Mayor of Samos appealed for help describing the situation as unimaginable, appealing for doctors and further aid, as Greece is still an economy suffering from the banking crash in 2008. It must not be forgotten that Turkey have over three and a half million refuges in camps that are like cities. Billions in aid is given from EU, but this is not the answer for Turkey or those unfortunate people who are seeking help for a better future. So when I hear the sound of this wicked weather here, where I live, it’s impossible having seen on the Greek Aegean islands pregnant women sitting huddled with children on cardboard. They use any material or debris with old lorry tarpaulin covers to make the flimsiest of shelters to try and keep these cold winds and rain at bay. It’s nearly 2020 and its unbelievable in what we see around us in this day and age. I talk of change having to come, how can other countries not help more, in knowing and witnessing this continuing catastrophe of despair, that effects so many beautiful children in this world. I would like to think our country tomorrow could airlift a thousand families and children straight away to bring them out of hell. Perhaps other countries would then follow our example.
We say Christmas is here, but I don’t see any of the many empty churches in our country opening their doors and housing for such families from these Greek islands. Even, if it is a temporary shelter to help the plight of these children as they face these inhuman horrors that mankind has made for them. We say GIVING is the theme between people at Christmas, someone or another country should take the lead, so that help will come to the suffering that continues with these children in such dire conditions. When I saw on the TV the beauty of so many children in their eyes and smiles in these camps of despair, I wish and dream one day our charity Kompas will be able to help, when having the necessary funds. In such a dream I have, there is a young talented photographer called Lucia, and a young woman called Katarina, a psychologist who runs a team that helps teenagers with problems. Both come from Banska Bystrica and are associated with our Kompas charity. I have a son who’s dream is to make a film. I have the talent to paint children, and I have lady friends besides my friend Elena, who believes and breaths like me. I have a dream that together we could make a big difference to bring about the awareness and give help to such children. I have friends like Ivor who I believe was once a Samurai Warlord who is so generous in his nature and in his giving. Then there is Annette , who already helps our charity and whose soul knows only how to give. I HAVE A DREAM. Words that came from a higher consciousness. Harness the energy, the life blood to your soul, then you will become who you are truly meant to be. There are thousands, if not millions across this world, who have such dreams knowing they can all make a difference, to make our world a better place. Martin Luther King Jr. said on August the 28th 1963, he had dream, and mentioned it eight times in his famous speech. He said, My four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.
The likes of all great leaders have had visions and dreams. Just a few of the following pursued their dreams. Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Gandhi, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill. Some say Napoleon Bonaparte and Alexander the Great. Yes, they had incredible dreams, but how many deaths were they responsible for, in trying to make their dreams come true. We can all have a dream in the pursuit of happiness. In this new coming year a dream can be put in motion with our own thoughts, actions, beliefs, values, and goals. It is said, those who have beautiful thoughts can change the world. May those who are strong help the weak, May the richer countries help those smaller countries, who always continue to struggle. May those, who know how to give set an example to others, and try to help those who struggle on this river of life we all journey on. May everyone who can believe there is a greater power than ourselves, and life is but a small part of our journey to go forward and I believe there are better times coming for all.
