My name is Eric Feldman, and I am a 17 year old high school student. My family includes many physicians, nurses, and teachers. Ever since I was four or five years old I have tagged along to see patients, deliver "Meals-on-Wheels", and visit halfway houses. So it was very natural when planning a trip to Africa that we would include days spent in an orphanage or physically building a school. We found a tour operator that was able to provide this link. But after reading a passage written by a twelve-year-old girl thanking her sponsor for a chance to go to school, I saw an even greater opportunity. Her words of gratitude were powerful, and the hair on my neck stood up. I was touched by what she had written, and overwhelmed with the urge to do something profound. It dawned on me that if I chose to sponsor a child, I could give a gift that would last a lifetime.

The purpose of "Just One Night" was to raise enough money to sponsor one child from the Mukuru slum. In Mukuru, one of Nairobi's most devastating slums, approximately 35% of the children have been orphaned due to HIV and AIDS. These children, who should be the hope of a nation, too often are lost to hardship, illness, and despair. The funds raised would cover not only the cost of four years of education, but room, board, and everything the child would need to live, study, and thrive at a boarding school far from the slum. Essentially, the objective was to give a child an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty, something virtually unattainable without an education. Furthermore, by involving my classmates and neighbors, I could remind them that education is the way to stop the cycle of poverty, and actually show them how it's done.

Realizing that with some extra effort I could make a more lasting impact, I was motivated to raise funds. Although I didn't have very much money, I had a wealth of talented friends. I love music, and have studied the piano for ten years. Instead of just asking for money, I figured that adults might be more willing donate if I could organize and give them an evening of classical music and jazz. With a conventional job, it would have taken over a year to raise the $5,200 needed. A musical fundraiser could include so many more people, exposing them to the issues of global poverty, and the responsibility we have to fight it. I enlisted the support of my classmates, getting their commitment to help. Confident with their enthusiastic responses, I designed an invitation that would grab the recipient's attention, and make them want to come.

I realized that the more people I involved, the more people would eventually embrace and support my project. I asked a good friend, Allison, to help me organize the fundraiser, thus doubling my resources and contacts. She then asked ten girlfriends to help by serving the one hundred guests. I arranged for fifteen local teen musicians to perform. One of their moms was a chef. After experiencing her son's enthusiasm, she was inspired to donate both the food and her services. I asked a professional artist to create and donate a program for the event. I also arranged for a native Kenyan who was familiar with the orphanage to speak. I contacted the publisher of a local monthly magazine (circulation 25,000) to cover the event, ensuring that the entire South Bay community would be aware of this global issue. By combining the efforts of many, we maximized community support.

One challenge was convincing potential donors that they should focus on poverty in developing countries. Several of them queried, "Why not Katrina, why not here in the U.S.?" This was a perfect opening to explain that this problem and responsibility belongs to all of us, that we can fight poverty both at home and abroad. We must embrace this issue with a global perspective. Furthermore, the African children covet and treasure education. A practical challenge was finding a location large enough to host the fundraiser. Even though my home was not very big, I opted to have it there so that I could save on rental fees. By coordinating the musicians so that some were performing inside, while others were performing in the back, we were able to accommodate all of the guests. This required bush clearing and a lot of gardening for me to make my backyard presentable.

My initial goal was to sponsor one child. Because of donors' generosity, we raised $11,000 -- enough for two children. I told family friends who'd be traveling with us. Enthusiasm is contagious, and they too decided to meet and sponsor a child. Once in Nairobi, I met two families visiting from Kansas. When they learned what had occurred, they told the administrators they would commit to sponsoring three more children. Six children were now being sponsored. Once back in the U.S., I wrote an article reflecting upon my experiences. It was published in a magazine, with a circulation of 25,000, and widespread interest developed. I offered to give a slideshow presentation at my sister's elementary school. Subsequently, the students voted to sponsor a child via their annual read-a-thon project. I have since had two additional fundraisers, for a total of $34,000 raised. Through our efforts, 10 more children will have the opportunity to escape the slums with an education. Currently, I am working on setting up a teen branch for the website of AmericaShare.org so that more young people can get involved. Additionally, I am pursuing major corporate sponsors and matching funds, and hope to inspire as many people as possible to work for change. I am also working with other local teens who will be organizing fundraisers of their own.

I specifically wanted to donate to a developing country. Some of my experiences have led me to believe that education in America is not as highly valued and appreciated as it should be. I had read that the children of Africa place the desire for education higher than any material gift. I wanted to meet the child that I sponsored and create a personal relationship that would transcend distance. By researching different programs, I found that AmericaShare was a well-established organization based in Kenya, and run by native Kenyans. The sustainability of it all impressed me, and the opportunity to physically see the orphanage and children was immensely gratifying. Being in Kenya changed my life, not just theirs. I wanted to make it tangible, not just for myself, but so that I could better explain the reality to all the folks back home.

I was inspired to fight global poverty because I am exquisitely sensitized to the abundance of my own good fortune. I realized that it was a quirk of fate for me to be born into an intact family, in a country where I have taken advantage of free public education, and where my family has provided for all of my healthcare. I see our world shrinking daily and sense that Americans can no longer continue to believe that their actions or inactions don't affect other (specifically developing) countries in profound ways. We are all interconnected and the issue of poverty in Africa is an issue for everyone.

The global issues that interest me include access to education, climate change, HIV/AIDS, hunger, and public health. While in Africa I observed how the use of mosquito nets would affect the malaria outbreaks of whole villages. The effect of climate change could be seen by the change in migratory patterns of African wildlife, placing some species at risk. The slums of Nairobi were overflowing with the vestiges of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and education is crucial to stopping the cycle. Last August, when I was in Kenya the country was being touted as the stable, democratic success story of the African continent. A mere five months later, over 900 people have been killed in violence related to the recent elections. Thousands of Kenyans have been displaced. As the economy suffers and basic supplies dry up, hunger and poverty will loom even larger.

Education is the issue I feel most passionate about because it encompasses every other issue. Without education and mentoring, the thirty-year-old democracy in Kenya may prove too corrupt and fail, dashing the hopes of a nation. Over 900 people have already been killed in violence related to the recent elections. Without public health education even simple illnesses become serious, and serious illnesses become deadly. Tribal faith in medicine men, long traditions of multiple marriages or partners, lack of mosquito nets, or fear of immunizations, all have dire consequences. Education regarding the country's natural wildlife resources and their effect on the tourism trade is crucial to sustaining Kenya's economy. Hunger and poverty are twins, and education is the hope and the cure.

My future plans include studying for a Masters in Public Health after completing medical school. I aspire to oversee an international organization, such as "Doctors of the World". I hope to influence health and public policy on a global scale, and improve the lives of many in developing countries.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN SELECTING TO FEATURE MY CAUSE ON YPWR. IT WOULD REALLY HELP TO SPREAD THE WORD!
please feel free to contact me for any more questions, and I have some video, and more photographs