I’m often amazed at the strangeness of the blogging world – that I should somehow enjoy laying my heart bare for all to see, that you should somehow enjoy reading it, that you should want to comment (sometimes) on what you read and that I should draw such strength from those comments and from the knowledge that I am not alone.
The truth is that we are all connected. You see something, however small, in my experiences which chimes with events in your own life and feel moved to reach out to me as I reach out to you.
But sometimes, something comes along which is much bigger than my ramblings or your very precious sympathy, something which means that we have to go from feeling a tentative connection, to really making a positive gesture.
We’ve all seen the pictures of the chaos in Haiti. No water, no food, no shelter. Thousands dead, thousands dying. We have to do something. Please do this with me:
This is a Shelterbox. It costs £490. They need lots of them in Haiti. It contains:
* A ten-person tent. Obviously I know nothing about camping, but apparently this is the business.
* Drawing books, crayons and pens. They may not seem like essentials, but if it were my children who’d lost everything, I know their receiving these little things would mean the world to me – and to them. * Thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets.* A life-saving means of water purification. * A basic tool kit containing a hammer, axe, saw, trenching shovel, hoe head, pliers and wire cutters.* Every item is durable, practical and new, including the box itself, which can be used for anything from water and food storage containers to a cot for a newborn baby. *A wood burning or multi-fuel stove – that can burn anything from diesel to old paint – and pans, utensils, bowls, mugs and water storage containers.
Just reading through that list makes you inescapably aware of how grim life is going to be in Haiti for months, if not years. It’s not Dulwich, my dears. We are truly the lucky ones.
How to donate
In the past, I’ve been moved by calamities but have not known how to contribute. This time, it couldn’t be simpler. Just click on
http://www.justgiving.com/Bloggers-For-Haiti
Let’s show that blogging does have a purpose and a point. Let’s turn compassion into action. I’m off to give something now. Not a fortune – I’m a divorcee for goodness’ sake – and you don’t have to give much either, a fiver is plenty. But let’s do something, together. Will you join me?