MY SPEECH! WE ALL CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.

All of us here are ordinary people. You may think you can’t make a difference, but I think you can. Let me tell you about two ordinary people who had an extraordinary impact on the world:

Irena lived in Poland during world war two. She was only 29 years old. Irena’s father always told her: “Irena, if you see someone drowning, you must jump in to try and save them”. Irena did exactly that for Jewish children when the Nazis began making life hard for them. She gave Jewish children Christian names and gave them to Christian families. She wrote their real names on ripped paper and buried them in marmalade jars under one of her friend’s trees. This was so the children could get back to their families after the war. In three months, her simple actions saved 2,500 children!

Shamsia lived in Afghanistan. Graffiti is known as vandalism there. In Afghanistan women like Shamsia were meant to stay at home but Shamsia didn’t think so she would do a mural on big tall women in seconds and leave. She wants people to make art not war. Now in Afghanistan people believe women can do more.
Just like Irena and Shamsia, there are simple things we can all do each day to make a big difference.

One of the ways you can make a difference is recycling. Did you know that 2.5 million tonnes of waste is buried in landfills each year, yet three quarters of this could be recycled? Do you know where plastic bags go? In the ocean for sea creatures to eat which means 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles die. Chances are that a plastic wrapper you’re throwing in the bin can be recycled. Also you could use reusable bags instead of plastic ones. If you are in the playground and see a piece of rubbish, put it in the bin or recycle it.

Giving to others is another way we can help the world. Foster Hope is just one charity I have donated to. Imagine you are going to a random house with nothing and adults that you are about to call mum and dad. Foster Hope raises money to give these children a toy or some underwear. These simple things make a big difference to these children. One day I definitely want to foster children.

Let me conclude with the words of Aung San Suu Kyi: since we live in this world we have to do our best for this world.
Say no to plastic bags. Give a dollar of your pocket money to charity. We live in this world and we CAN make a difference.