As soon as I heard a sound, I opened my eyes. However, I was not in the place where I had fallen asleep. I was in a land I had never seen before. The heat from the sand hit my face, and the air burned my throat. When I tried to speak, I realized that no one around me understood my language.
I watched my surroundings in confusion. When I saw people working until they were exhausted, my heart ached. I wanted to help them, so I worked with them for a week. That week taught me lessons I will never forget. They did not have enough food or clean water. It was hard to even think in that heat.
I felt most sorry for the children. They should have been in cities and schools, but instead, they were working in the desert, hungry and thirsty. They were missing out on their childhood. They deserved an education, dreams, and hope for the future, just like us.
Right then, I made a decision: No matter how much money I earned, I would donate half of it to Africa every year.
When I returned home, I started a campaign. 100,000 people joined this act of kindness. Together, we raised enough money to open a school. The next step was finding a teacher. I searched for volunteers, but many were afraid of the desert heat.
Finally, a young teacher from Africa, who was studying in Istanbul, contacted me. He wanted to go back and help his people. When I saw the determination in his eyes, I knew he was the right person.
We flew to Africa together and opened the school. The children entered their classrooms for the first time, and the room filled with joy. Everything was going well until a venomous tarantula entered the classroom. Panic spread, and we had to close the school for two days. I called a pest control team from Istanbul, and they solved the problem.
Suddenly, I woke up in my own bed. I had fallen asleep while watching a documentary about the struggles of African children. I realized that my journey had been a dream, but it felt like a sign. At that moment, my decision became final: I would donate to Africa with all my heart.
And so, a journey that began with a sound turned into a hope that might change a child’s life.