It’s just another Friday night, rushing home to catch the 20/20 special by Diane Sawyer titled “Waiting on The World To Change”. Yes, you’re probably wondering if this is just a coincidence that I wrote about this very topic just yesterday. But, it’s been on my mind since early this week.

The story is about “The Hopes, Dreams and Hardships of Children in America’s Most Dangerous City”

Jan. 25, 2007 — Abandoned homes, empty lots, gunfire, police sirens. These are the sights and sounds of Camden, N.J. Camden has been named America’s most dangerous city twice by City Crime Rankings, an annual reference book. During the 2005 Christmas holidays, there were four slayings in 48 hours, all too characteristic of a place with a murder rate more than seven times the national average. (via)

It’s just about to air in a few minutes, but as long as there’s some free time to write, I thought I would preempt the show and put my thoughts in writing…

Humble Beginnings

Poverty has always been close to my heart, because I myself come from humble beginnings. My mother who was raised among nine brothers and sisters, had no means to go to school. So, she got a job at a local hospital doing menial duties. She was working to put food on the table as well as to save for schooling. At around this time she was only 17 years old.

But, as I have always believed, if you do your work well, and have faith that things will always get better as long as you strive for just that.. something better.. then you will move on to higher ground.

And that is exactly what happened. The wife of the owner of the hospital noticed her hard work and offered my mother a chance to go to the medical school which was associated with that very hospital. My mother took that offer, worked along the way, and that is how she has made a success of her life.

We Don’t Have To Wait

Knowing about poverty all over the world, it’s not a given that the world’s most powerful nation is immune to it as well. As Hurricane Katrina exposed the divide between the haves and the have-nots, this powerful story by ABC News will awaken the stigma that poverty is not in our own backyard, that it is somewhere far away in the third world countries…

It’s everywhere, and as long as we stand by and let it happen, nothing will ever change. We don’t have to donate millions, but as the story will show, just around a few dollars is enough to give one family hope for the future, enough food for their children, and an education to build upon.

That’s right, we don’t have to wait, and we don’t have to be millionaires to start making a difference today. As long as you keep waiting for someone else to take action, the world will keep spinning and time will keep passing by.

Three Young Children

Three young citizens allowed “20/20″ to document their lives for 18 months: 6-year-old Moochie, who promised to get straight As in school; Billy Joe, a teenager determined to be the first in his family to graduate high school; and a homeless 4-year-old, Ivan, who had one big dream: “I want my room, and I’m never gonna get it.”

At the end of the day will this just be another story, or will this become a catalyst for someone to take action. These young children who are faced with such adversity, yet with so much hope in their eyes, with simple dreams, and no means to achieve them.

Will you be inspired today? Will you take it upon yourself to help in some way, in any way? When you wake up tomorrow, will you still be waiting on the world to change?