Anastasia receiving her award |
Kindness is an important aspect in a human's everyday life. A little bit of kindness, empathy and compassion can make great difference not only to individuals but to the wider community and nation. Showing kindness is one of the most rewarding human experiences that not only can make a great difference to someone but also inspire others to show kindness to each other. Being kind to others can positively boost their self-esteem, work ethic, mood and motivation in all aspects of their life. This is true to two Polish activists, Paul Edmund Strzelecki and Tadeusz Kosciuszko who through their compassion and love towards the human race, successfully made a great difference around the world.
Aussie Youth Competitions. Anastasia Wilesmith - Second award in the senior category
In the 1840's Paul Strzelecki travelled to Ireland where he was stunned to see the Irish community infected with disease and starvation that caused the death of hundreds and thousands of men, women and children. Due to the loss of the main source of food, potatoes, which were infected by fungi that made them rot, most of the poor people were unable to provide for themselves and their children. The hospitals, streets and work places were riddled with disease and dead bodies of men, women and children. Strzelecki came up with an ingenious idea to place the children in schools and ensure that they were provided with sufficient food, clothes, hygiene materials and education, this then allowed the adults to focus on their own lives and needs.
By the donations Strzelecki provided he was able to help the nation to overcome starvation and depression, giving them the hope and strength, they needed to fight for a better future. No longer had the parents had to worry about their starving children because of the kindness showed by Paul Strzelecki.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko has also shown great kindness towards humanity through his bravery and by volunteering his services to fight for liberty and freedom for a number of disadvantaged countries, including North America. For his bravery and contribution Kosciuszko was rewarded by the American government a large patch of land and money which he selflessly donated to the Black Americans who were severely affected by slavery, thus giving them a chance at a better life, safe from the worry of mistreatment and enslavement.
Both Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Paul Strzelecki showed that one person can make a great difference to the community, a nation and/or a race by showing kindness, commitment and empathy.
In the world today, kindness is one of the rarest and most precious attributes that one can come by. These difficult times today prove that the human society needs to spread as much kindness and empathy as possible so that they can then help to positively influence the less fortunate and perhaps start making the world a better place for everyone.
Anastasia Wilesmith
Year 11
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