Saving a Child’s Life

I used to work for a magazine as a photographer and I loved my job. I liked how I was always busy going to different countries and taking pictures. I liked how I felt like I was watching history happen. One day, I had an assignment to travel to a part of sub-Saharan Africa that was suffering a food crisis. We wanted to take their pictures and share their story with the magazine readers. When we arrived, we quickly set up our tents and began to walk around taking photos of the environment. Suddenly, we came across a little boy lying on the ground as if he were dead. I paused for a moment, because I did not know what to do. I was stunned! My colleague told me to go check if the little boy was alive. When I picked up the little boy, it was a moment that changed my life forever. The child almost unconscious, and breathing weakly. He was so light; I felt as if I would break him if I was not careful. My friend and I looked around to see if he had any family members around, but there was no one. I carried him back to our car and we took him to our tent. There he woke up, and we fed him and gave him some medicine. Later, my friend went to go talk to village officials to ask about his family, but they said he had no living relatives. In that moment, I made a decision: I would adopt him and take him home with me. For another month, I had to deal with loads of paperwork to become his legal guardian. Of course, my photograph assignment was interrupted! But I felt I had a new, more important mission. Eventually, everything was organized and I was able to take him to my hometown. There, we both started new lives. I am sure that if I had not taken him with me, he would have died there. And, I am so happy to have him in my life. Now, he is eight years old. I still work as a photographer for the magazine—when I travel for work, my husband stays home to take care of him. On my trips, I still see many children who are suffering, and I wish I could protect them all. If I had the time and money I would adopt many more children. I hope that someday all the children who struggle with hunger or poverty will be able to have security. To help, I hope you one day consider adoption, too!