Lessons in Empathy: How Seeing the World Changed Me

When I was in elementary school, my world was small. I only knew my neighborhood and the kids I went to school with. But one day, a guest speaker came to our class and spoke about the famine in Ethiopia. She showed us pictures of children with spindly limbs and bloated bellies. It was the first time I realized that there were people in the world who didn't have access to basic necessities like food and water.

As I grew up, I never forgot that moment of realization. And years later, when I visited Nicaragua, those emotions came flooding back. I saw women collecting water from a nearby river, spending hours every day just to provide their families with this basic necessity. It was a stark reminder that there are still places in the world where people don't have access to clean water.

It's easy to forget about the struggles that others face when we live in a comfortable bubble. But we need to remember that there are people all over the world who are fighting to survive every day. We should strive to help them in any way we can, whether it's through charitable donations or simply spreading awareness. We all have the power to make a difference in the world.