I was sitting on a beach in Sri Lanka.  Waiting in the shade for a friend who was shopping in the market behind me. The humidity pressed me to the ground as I fanned myself with a magazine I had been reading.

A young boy came near and claimed a patch of sand near by. He couldn’t have been more than eleven but very maturely asked me where I was from.  I was struck by his serious demeanor. After a few moments he asked, “Would you like a boy?”  I was dumb with shock and startled, then stammered “No.” He looked away from me swiftly as his face darkened. A few seconds later he stood up and disappeared into the market crowd.

What drove him to ask that? What could his life have been like? What circumstances led him to approach foreign women with that question? My mind was reeling with desperate images.

It happened a long while ago, but I was reminded of the encounter as I thought about hunger and children on this day of action. World wide hunger is still claiming the lives of many and it might not be just emaciation of the body but perhaps of the spirit too, as the young are led into lives of prostitution or other abuse.

I’m participating in this World Food Day of action and hope that you’ll consider joining in as well. Here’s the Save the Children World Food Day Quiz. Thank you.

Elaine Masters, Trip Wellness coach, speaker, award-winning author of Drivetime Yoga

Helping people and businesses, commuters, business or pleasure travelers stay happy, pain free and productive.