Deadly Deforestation
The deer, ears pricked, eyes wide, searches for the origin of the noise. Thunk Thunk Thunk. An ancient oak
comes thundering towards her and her fawn. Slam! The tree crashes into the ground, separating mother from baby.
Deforestation is a severe worldwide crisis with devastating consequences.
Paper is most likely plentiful around your house. In fact, you are even reading off paper right now! The
problem, called deforestation, is where too many trees are cut down to provide people with wood and paper. This
loss of trees affects everyone’s air quality, the fertility of the land around you, and even the lives of some people,
and lots of animals. Deforestation has effects on everyone, even if it doesn’t affect you now, it will.
Forests are amazing habitats that have so many important aspects that are key to the world’s survival.
Forests don’t just contain trees. In fact, the Amazon rainforest alone produces twenty percent of the world’s oxygen.
They also house 121 natural remedies that are used for medicines to save someone’s life. Also, the loss of forests is
speeding up global warming by releasing between twelve and seventeen percent of greenhouse gasses. If
deforestation does not stop, the world as you know it will not make it through the next one hundred years.
Deforestation has to stop, and there are many things you can do to help. For instance, you could donate to
WWF to help protect forests. You could also be conservative when it comes to using paper, and make sure to
recycle. Will you stand by and watch the forests perish, or will you be the change?
~ Kennedy Fish
Malaria: The Disease Devastating Families Worldwide
You are most likely reading this on a couch, near your family, in a home with a roof. That home is in an area
nearly risk free of malaria. But on the other side of the world, there are children suffering from malaria, who are
experiencing high fever, chills, terrible vomiting, yellow skin, and are close to death. These children are suffering
the life threatening effects of malaria - a devastating disease with no cure.
Malaria is a parasite that is spread through female mosquito saliva. Malaria is extremely deadly in central Africa.
This is because there are millions of mosquitos in Africa, and not enough hospitals that have the equipment needed
to help. Malaria symptoms start ten to fifteen days after bitten. The symptoms occur because the malaria parasite
attacks and then kills blood cells. This causes many of the symptoms of malaria. These dying blood cells cause
yellow skin, seizures, comas, and even death. Malaria can devastate families and even entire populations, so it must
be rendered obsolete.
Imagine you, or a family member with this disease knowing there is no current vaccine or cure. Many scientists
are working on a cure, but none are a hundred percent successful… yet. Children all over Africa, the Middle East,
South America, and sometimes even the United states are affected by malaria. Even other animals are physically or
mentally hurt by malaria. They affect reptiles by turning parts of their bodies’ different colors. Then it kills them.
Malaria affects half of the world’s population every year.
However, you can help these broken families. Donate to help create a vaccine, or supply people with mosquito
nets to sleep in. There are many local charities that can assist with this cause. Help the millions of people that are
suffering through this gruesome disease and fight back against malaria today!
~ Mitch Hurst
Poverty: An Unwinnable Fight
Eight-year-old Sasha lives in a cramped one-room apartment with her unemployed mother and nine other
siblings. Many people around the world live just like Sasha. In fact, 700 million, or one in five people live in
extreme poverty today.
Living in poverty is harsh, but poverty can lead to other social issues like malaria, hunger, and
homelessness. People living in poverty are 20% more likely to get diseases than average people. The poverty line is
living under $1.90 a day, and 47% of the world lives under that line. Poverty is like a ditch; once you fall into it, it is
hard to climb back out.
Africa has 43% of the world’s population that lives in poverty. More than half the children in Africa are in
child labor because their families cannot support them. Over 80% of Africa’s population lives under $10 a day.
Nearly 20,000 children die each day in Africa from malnutrition. Maintaining poverty in Africa can resolve almost
half of the world’s population in poverty.
Everyone can assist people in need by donating food, clothes, and money. Local causes contribute to the
world issue of poverty. Some foundations anyone can donate to are O.N.E., Feeding America, Mercy Corps, and
Project Bread; they all aid people in poverty. In 2014, more than $220,000 was raised by O.N.E. All of the money
went straight to the people in need. So the next time you snuggle into your cozy bed, or eat a Thanksgiving meal,
think of Sasha, who may not even have food and a bed at all.
~ Amy Yu
There’s No Place Like Home
A typical teenager: lounging in a full size bed with a fuzzy comforter over them as they play games on their
iPhone 6. Anyone in this state of living is far from being homeless, right? Wrong. Homelessness can occur anytime,
and anywhere in the matter of an instant; anyone can become a victim.
Homelessness is a growing issue in the United States, but many people are unaware of this grave situation.
That homeless person someone walks past every day on the way to work could have lived in a mansion, could have
no family, or could have even been a veteran. Can you imagine being on the streets day, after day, people hurrying
past you, judging you and not even knowing your situation? These are humans, so put yourself in their place before
turning away.
Most parents reading this can’t even imagine their children roaming the streets scrounging for food. Yet
this is a reality for forty percent of the homeless. The sad truth is when on the streets homeless are more vulnerable
for abuse, severe health issues and mental illnesses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, and anxiety
disorders. Next time you see a homeless child, ask yourself; what would I do if that was my relative, or someone I
knew?
However, there are numerous ways we are able to support. Family House is a charity located as close as
Shadyside that focuses on providing temporary homes for families that have a loved one receiving medical care in
Pittsburgh. Also anyone can donate clothes, toys, and food to any other charities near them. If everybody does their
part, we can make the world a better place, one step at a time.
~ Avery Gross
Our New Generation
You are shackled to a loom every day like an animal. You are barely given enough food and water to
function, yet you are forced to weave and do other forms of manual labor. There is no hope, future, or life for you
anymore. It seems ghastly and cruel for someone to do this to a child, but child labor exists in different forms around
the world. Most countries abolished slavery years, even centuries ago, but it still exists in the form of child labor
today.
Almost 168 million kids are in child labor today, and almost none of them are paid. Roughly 21 percent of
children in Sub-Saharan Africa are in child labor. The most shocking and gruesome fact is that there are 300,000
child soldiers today. Child labor is too common to be ignored.
All of us try to raise our youth with education, compassion, and love. Illicit forms of child labor, like petty
theft, trafficking, and the drug trade corrupt kids worldwide. Conditions in which children work are often hazardous,
and can lead to injury and even death. If your child never has to face this, why should they?
The battle may seem daunting, but you can definitely help. Donate to humanitarian charities like Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch, and FreetheSlaves.net to do your part in ending this. The fight against child
labor is strong, and since 2000, child labor worldwide has been reduced by two-thirds. We can help children now
and from where we are.
Child labor is archaic and inhumane. Poverty is neither a reason nor an excuse for taking advantage of a
child. This torturous practice is common, cruel, and can be stopped. The children of today are the leaders of
tomorrow and should be treated as such.
~ Sreemanti Dey
I Am Hungry
I have to do something. Something so important I need the world to help me. People across this world are
suffering every day because of one thing: lack of food. These people without food are dying every day, and we do
not even realize it. We need to put it in bold.
World hunger needs to be fixed, but do you even know what it is causing? One thing all people should
know is that about twenty thousand kids are dying each day because of hunger. Unfortunately, since all these sad
stories of world hunger are true hunger is the number one cause of death. About 11.3 percent of the world is hungry.
People are dying because of it, and we need to stop it.
The people in this world, including women and children, need our help. When a woman is pregnant and
they do not have any food, the unborn child will have no food either. The child could end up dying before they are
even born. We need to stop this tragedy.
We need to take action. Some larger organizations like Mercy Crops, City Harvest, and The Hunger Project
are doing their best they can, but they need everyone's financial help. We could also do food drives and work at soup
kitchens. Even the smallest things can stop world hunger.
World hunger is a huge problem, and it is up to us to help and stop it. Let us be the change we want to see
in this world, and take action to stop world hunger now.
~ Ciara Evans
The Real Hunger Games
One in eight people go to bed hungry every night. At Hampton, that would be like having 375 of our 3,000
students going to sleep without enough food to sustain them. Millions of people are starving in our world; however,
there is a way to change this huge problem. We can and we must help.
Every minute that goes by, four children in the world die from hunger. That’s roughly 7.6 million people a
year. Most of the world’s undernourished people live in Southern Asia, where poverty is the principal cause of
hunger. Tragically, the world produces more than enough food for everyone, but many people do not have the
resources with which to get it. Even babies are born undernourished because the mothers were undernourished
during their pregnancies, and 315,000 women worldwide die during childbirth because of lack of nutrients.
Hunger is the third leading cause of death in children under five years of age. These little children don’t
just die though. They suffer in pain as their tiny bodies waste away. These babies and children do not have a chance.
We have the power to make a change and help end hunger around the world. There are numerous ways to
help, including donating money to an organization like StopHungerNow.org, starting a program to raise awareness
and funds, or just playing the online “Free Rice” game, which donates rice for simply answering questions. We, who
are so much more fortunate, can truly make a difference and change lives with our efforts.
People are needlessly suffering and dying, but we can be the change to make the world a better place for
all. As Ghandi once said, “You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing, there will
be no result.”
~ Julia Kocsis
Destroy Our Oceans, Destroy Ourselves
We’re destroying our oceans. Oceans make-up over 97 percent of Earth’s livable habitat and cover almost
71 percent of Earth’s surface. They’re a huge part of our world, and we need to prevent their destruction.
Our oceans are amazing, with many secrets still waiting to be discovered. Over 700,000 species call the
ocean home; however, if we continue the things we’re doing, they won’t be able to. Destroying oceans not only
harms animals, but us too. More than half the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean; therefore, taking that away
would leave us with a big problem. There are many other problems. Trash we leave lying around often ends up in
the ocean where it’ll stay for generations. We’re allowing climate change to continue, which raises sea levels,
sweeping people’s houses out from under their feet. Lots of these problems can be fixed, yet we aren’t doing
anything.
Every year we dump toxins and trash into our oceans, resulting in human illnesses and death. These toxins
are killing off animals as well, which hurts not only them, but us too. Unhealthy animals can become unhealthy
food. After eating this food, we’ll become unhealthy as well. Every day, lives are claimed by unclean water and
once they’re taken, there’s no bringing them back.
Everyone can do something. There are many easy ways to help preserve our oceans. If you see trash, pick it
up. Use less plastic. Eat only sustainable seafood. If everyone does his or her part, we can make a big impact.
We must take action now if we want there to be anything left for future generations. If we destroy our
oceans, we destroy ourselves.
~ Tyler Pilarski
The Child Killer
Every minute a child dies of Malaria. This deadly disease is a huge problem that needs to be stopped.
Malaria is found mainly in Africa, and there are 300-500 million new cases each year. About 620,000
people die yearly, and their deaths are extremely painful. Before they die, they suffer fevers, chills, a headache,
sweats, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, muscle/back pain, and a cough. Many of the victims can’t even rest to try to get
better. They might have to provide for their families or go to work. No one should have to suffer through this,
especially a child. Malaria kills too many people to be ignored and it needs to end.
Malaria leaves people scarred even if they’re not the ones who had the disease. Children have to watch
siblings, parents, and friends suffer and die. After they watch it happen, they have to try to survive without anyone
to guide them. They’ll never live a full life, and they’ll have to manage to survive the memory of a dead loved one
that will never leave them. You can help stop malaria so fewer people have to experience this.
Many organizations are trying to fight malaria. You can donate to causes like Malaria No More, which
gives insecticide treated mosquito nets to kids in Africa. Just a few dollars will help provide a mosquito net that will
save a life. Another organization is Global Fund, which provides millions of dollars to buy mosquito nets. Finally,
the Against Malaria Foundation sponsors researchers trying to find a permanent cure. Donating to any of these can
save lives.
Malaria is one of the most deadly diseases in the world, and it needs to be cured. It kills children and ruins
families. You can help stop it by donating today.
~ Manya Kodali
He is Hunger, He is Death
Every minute, 6 children are killed by him, every hour 360 children die, every day 8,640 perish. His name
is Hunger. Many have died from hunger- men, women, and children. None of them really ever got the chance to
escape. It was their destiny to die this way.
Hunger is one of the greatest catastrophes in the modern world. Hunger is the most devastating possibility
a child will face in life. Growth is stunted, infant mortality rates rise, children can’t go to school, and ultimately,
they die. These problems are a parent’s worst nightmare, but it is the most likely outcome for many children all
across the world. Sad as it may be, hunger is real and must be defeated.
He strikes mercilessly, without warning. He decides children’s fates before they are born. He causes one in
every three deaths in children. People who are starving become so delirious when close to death that they can’t feel
hunger anymore. It is a truth nobody wants to hear; 8.7 million people worldwide are hungry and one third of those
hungry people have depleted or contaminated water supplies. Hunger, as a result of pure neglect from the world,
claims more lives than HIV/AIDS each year.
He has claimed the lives of 24 children while you have been reading this. He, Hunger, can be beaten,
though. There are numerous charities and food banks, such as the World Food Programme, a U.N. supported charity
and food bank, fighting hunger. And you, the reader can help too, by going to www.wfp.org, and learning how you
can fight to end hunger. Now the choice is yours. What will you do after reading this? How will you help the men,
women, and children of the world who are starving?
~ Charlie Gantt