Making a Difference
Most, if not all of us, want to make a difference in this world. We want to have a positive impact on the lives of others, and we want to leave a legacy – some evidence that we were here and that we mattered. That’s one of the most compelling reasons that I chose to become a Life Coach. I know the difference I am making in the lives of others. I get to write these newsletters every month and touch the lives of people in meaningful ways – many of whom I have never even met. My clients, whether corporate or individual, all are being affected in measurable ways by the work we’re doing together. It’s one of the sustaining factors in keeping me focused and moving forward despite any challenges I may face. I have a very powerful “why” – that internal motivating force that gets me out of bed every day to do the work I get to do.
I am blessed to know many people who are doing the same in their own way. They’re out there in the world making a difference, doing something to make this world a better place for others, leaving a lasting legacy. Today I want to tell you about one of those people. She is a living example of how we can all make a difference if we just choose to stand up, speak up, and give a voice to those who would not otherwise be heard – by anyone.
I first met Keli Wilson at my church. She is a striking woman – tall, thin, and blonde, with girl-next-door good looks. But that is not at all what makes her special. No, if those things are all you notice about her, then you have missed the very best aspects of who Keli Wilson is.
By almost any measure, Keli and her husband, Robert, have lived what could be called a charmed life. He is a successful entrepreneur, and she holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Pre-Medicine and Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno. They have three healthy, amazing children. What else could she possibly want or need in life?
That was exactly the question Keli found herself asking a few years ago. Is this all there is? What is my impact, and how can I make a real difference in the world? She certainly knew that she was blessed, and was living a life that many could only dream of. But there was more to her than meets the eye, and she was not satisfied with merely living this life she was given. No, Keli Wilson had a need, and inner drive, to make a difference.
While on an airplane in January 2008, she saw a 3-minute video that, as she puts it, “Changed my life.” It was a piece on 60 Minutes about an innovative new product that had the potential to save malnourished children all over the world. This amazing nutritional product had a very funny name – Plumpy’nut.
It was developed by two doctors who had watched many children suffer and die of malnutrition in hospitals in the poorest parts of Africa. At that time, they had only one option: to give them a soy- or milk-based product. The children were not responding very well to that treatment, and the recovery rate was low – less than 25%. They knew that something had to be done. One of the doctors was inspired by Nutella, the Italian hazelnut spread. Together, the two worked in a kitchen with a multitude of ingredients and a blender to come up with something innovative and effective, and Plumpy'nut was born.
Plumpy'nut is made from peanut paste, milk powder, vitamins and minerals and is jam-packed with protein and calories. It comes in a foil packet, has a two-year shelf life, requires no water (a huge benefit), and a child can take it home and even feed himself. Before this, children would have to be hospitalized, and their mothers would have to be away from their homes, unable to take care of the rest of the children and the family farm.
Keli saw this amazing video and the groundbreaking work these doctors were doing, and she knew instantly that she had to be part of it. This was going to be her way of making a difference in the world. She would help give a voice to the millions of starving children around the world, and would work tirelessly to see that they have the opportunity to receive the most basic nutrition and thereby have a chance to live and grow and reach their potential in life.
The most startling discovery that Keli made when she looked more closely at the issue of worldwide hunger is that the group most affected by this “silent tsunami” is the age group of children 5 and under. The first five years of life are critical in the overall development of a child. If they are malnourished, they will not have proper brain development, growth will be stunted, and their immune system will be compromised. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that hunger and malnutrition contribute to more than 5 million deaths each year (some estimates are as high as 15 million) of children under the age of five.
As a result of these startling statistics, and the immense human toll, Keli and her husband formed a non-profit, non-governmental, humanitarian organization called The Hand of Hope International. Their sole purpose is to bring hope and inspiration to the multitudes of starving children around the world by providing them with food, shelter, education, and disaster relief. Now that is a huge “why.”
As Keli says so beautifully, “Saving the life of a child is not about charity, it is about justice.” Many of us are parents. And we live in a country that is rich beyond measure compared to most of the rest of the world. However, many Americans tend to take this fact for granted. Think about how it would feel to know that your children stand a better chance of dying before the age of five than of living to see their adult years. That is a thought that haunts Keli and Robert Wilson when they think of all the children around the world who go to bed hungry every night, with little hope of remedying that fact on their own.
Of course, there is also hunger and starvation in this great nation of ours – a fact that does not go unnoticed by Keli and HHI. They do plan to work in the United States to help stem the tide of hunger, as there are no boundaries on who they intend to assist. However, at this time they are focused on helping the poorest of the poor, the sickest of the sick. Her philosophy is simple, “Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live.”
One of the most unexpected findings I made while doing research and talking with Keli for this newsletter is just how little it costs to make a major impact in the life of a child. A mere $15 can save a child from starvation by purchasing a supply of Plumpy’nut that will give them 2-3 treatments a day for 6-8 weeks. I think you will all agree that it’s an amazingly small price to pay when it comes to saving lives.
Keli spends much of her time promoting the organization as well as seeking corporate and foundation partnerships to complement the individual donations they receive. One of the most amazing aspects of HHI is that there are absolutely NO administrative costs. All money collected goes directly to the cause. In a world where we see more dollars going into running the organization than to reaching the actual people who need help, HHI is a breath of fresh air and a model for how to truly serve others.
Most of us have seen the videos of starving children around the world, we know the pain and suffering of these most vulnerable and poor, and we are certainly moved by those stark images. But how many of us have found the courage, desire, and deep love for our fellow man that it takes to actually stand up and do something? As Martin Luther King, Jr. said so eloquently, “Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
Keli Wilson is a wife, a mother, a leader, a servant, a person making a difference in a world that all too often focuses solely on the question of “What’s in it for me?” She sets a high standard of how we are all called to serve each other.
How will you make a difference in the world? It doesn’t have to be big and bold and worldwide. It can be in your own state, your own community, your own church or business, and especially in your own family. All it takes is a big enough “why” and the courage to take a stand.
If you would like to make a donation or learn more about The Hand of Hope International and their cause in bringing basic nutrition to starving children around the world, please visit their website at www.thehandofhopeinternational.org.
