Three Wishes

I saw a commercial on TV last night for a new program called Three Wishes. I pondered a bit…if I had three wishes, what would they be?

1. To end hunger.
2. To immunize all children from preventable disease.
3. To abolish FGM, honor killings, bride burnings, female infanticide, rape, dowry deaths, acid attacks and all other violent crimes committed against women, girls and babies everyday.

It was very hard to come up with only three. Of course I want to cure AIDS, to end the war, to provide homes and medicine to those in need, to teach the world tolerance and acceptance of those who are different from themselves, to have one more conversation with that special someone I cannot, for my children to have healthy, happy and fulfilled lives, for my mortgage to be paid off, etc.

I chose the three I did simply because the idea of someone being hungry every moment, people fading of malnutrition startles me. I can’t imagine my child crying because they haven’t eaten in days and having nothing to give them. The idea of children dying moment to moment from polio, the flu, tetanus, rubella, measles, pertussis, diphtheria because they haven’t received immunizations that cost dimes and nickels to produce is shocking. Knowing young girls are being mutilated with rusty razors and broken glass by those who should be protecting them, knowing babies are being thrown away just because they’re born female, knowing women are attacked as retaliation for a family members disrespect, knowing all this violence takes place everyday sickens me. So these are my wishes today.

What are your three wishes?