After Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar on May 3, the people's lives over there have been severely affected and they are calling out for help.

The present situation in Myanmar could have been improved if the government had permitted international assistance as soon as the crisis began. But since that wasn't the case, their government had witnessed a week of watching their people trying to get through the day without the basics of food, clean water, and shelter. The government finally decided to become more lenient, letting some international assistance into the country because they finally realized how desperately it was needed. One of the agencies that have been granted permission to work in Myanmar is the "Save the Children" organization. The Myanmar people are very fortunate to have such an agency working in their country because of their solid international reputation. Since Cyclone Sidr struck the southern coast of Bangladesh on November 15, 2007, the "Save the Children" organization has provided emergency relief to over a million people that have been severely affected by the devastation. This demonstrates the commitment, promise and speed at which "Save the Children", has been able to operate at in order to assist in saving lives in crisis situations throughout the world. It is easy to see from just these two disasters how such an organization can become strained. We must help the "Save the Children" organization so that they can continue to provide speedy relief so that even more crisis victims can rise from their ruins and begin to return to a life of normalcy.

Before I discuss how we can help the Myanmar people, I find it necessary to give you the latest update on the current situation in Myanmar. The United Nations has estimated that 1.9 million people have been severely affected by Cyclone Nargis and that there are 55,917 people missing with 102,000 people dead. Unfortunately that isn't the end of the bad news. There are over a million homeless people that are malnourished and are prone to dysentery and cholera due to the contaminated water, which could potentially lead to death. Meanwhile, there are families that are psychologically imbalanced because they have been separated from their loved ones and don't know how to live their life without the support of family and friends. Luckily, there have been many donations to help the Myanmar people from experiencing further suffering. "Save the Children," one of the only agencies permitted to work in Myanmar, has reached 160,632 people including 50,000 children with food, water, shelter materials, household supplies and oral-rehydration salts to treat dysentery. But that is not all; they also help families that have been separated, to find their love ones. As well, they have implemented programs that focus on early childhood care such as child development, survival and protection. "Save the Children" is one of the most important agencies in Myanmar because they have had a significant impact on relieving the crisis situation and are continuing to do so.

After reading the previous paragraph, I'd like you to imagine your life after being hit by a Cyclone. Make sure in your imaginative life, you include no clean water, food, shelter, and loved ones. Then as yourself, what kind of life would I be living? I am pretty sure the answer would be vacant, lonely, and scary. Now, stop and look around you. You live a luxurious lifestyle, never worrying about how to survive one single day. But the Myanmar people that were affected by

Cyclone Nargis have to worry about surviving each and every single day of their lives because they don't have the basics that we take for granted.

Therefore, it is important that we now obey our conscience to the utmost realizing there are still a tremendous amount of crisis victims in Myanmar that need our help now! Bob Hope once said, "If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble."

So, please show me that you have some charity in your heart, by reading closely on how to help prevent the crisis victims from experiencing any more suffering.

The way that we can all help bring an end to this crisis is by donating as much as you can to "Save the Children" organization. Be assured that all the donations will go directly to help relieve the

crisis situation in Myanmar. Donations that are made from May 13,

2008 through May 13, 2009, will be especially beneficial because they

will be matched up to $250,000. This is made possible by "Not On Our

Watch," a non-profit organization founded by actors Don Cheadle,

George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub and human rights lawyer David Pressman. They have committed $250,000 in matching funds to "Save the Children," "to provide for the critical needs of children and families affected by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar."

We will all be given the opportunity to donate in person to "Save the

Children's Cyclone Nargis emergency relief work," this Saturday May

31, at Rockfest, The Battle of the Bands, which is taking place at

Manhasset High School from 4 to 8 p.m. A representative from "Save the

Children," will be there to answer any questions you may have pertaining to this cause and the organization in general. If you aren't able to attend the event, you can donate to Save The Children,

P.O. Box 38, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724-0038.

Our goal this year is to raise $15,000 to help get all that is needed to help the Myanmar people get through this crisis.

I truly believe that this year's goal can be achieved and surpassed if every person is willing to show the world the charity he or she has in their heart. So, come out this Saturday, have some fun, make a donation, and touch the crisis victim's hearts and provide them with

the chance to reclaim their lives.

We don't watch! We take action!

Alex Snee

Manhasset High School Junior