Sitting here in the comfort of my dorm room, with the heat blasting and a jar of 'Odwalla' juice for my sore throat, I look outside and take in the beautiful snow. I think of all the wonderful times I have had in it. All of the snowmen, igloos and snowfights I have had with friends and family. But for just a moment, which turns to many minutes, my mind drifts to something not so beautiful.

I think of children dying, children being taken from their families, children being forced into slavery-to be prostiutes. Children who don't have wonderful memories of having fun and playing with friends because their lives have been stolen. I wonder what my life would be like if I was one of them. How would I feel? Sometimes, but not very often, I remember my life in India and how I could have become like them. I could have become a lost child with no memories of love and laughter.

But I'm not. I was one of the lucky ones. For some reason I was spared. Often, I think that that reason is becasue of this. Because of my voice, because of my compassion, because of my need to tell the world of the horrors that are going on.

Right now, while you (and I) sit comfortabley in chairs, in a warm place, in a room, or a house there are children in Africa (and all over the world) who are being forced (by the government and from guerrila armies) from their own homes, their villages and being put to work. They do everything from suicide missions to prostitution to fighting on the frontlines. What is even worse is no one seems to know a great deal about it. Does the news report on this? Rarely. Do people talk about it or even, what can be done? At the same time, it is easy to understand why not. WHy? Why bring something so terrible into light....keep it in the back of your mind for as long as possible...then it won't get to you or your conscience. But for me....it doesn't work that way because it has gotten to me. IT has gotten to me. At the same time, I feel I don't know what to do...so I do the only thing that I can possibley do and that is use my voice to express my feelings. I know that someday I will do something for those children, something to help them out of their plight.

But for now, what I would ask each and every one of you is what can you do? How can you make a difference in their lives? Can you make a difference?

I believe I can.