Amanda Taub of Wronging Rights fame shared the above video from Water is Life. It shows four year-old Nkaitole, a member of Kenya’s Maasai tribe, as he completes his bucket list. That is because one in five children in Kenya don’t see their fifth birthday. The short shows all that Kenya has to offer, his wide list of desires and the reality that children like Nkaitole die from preventable causes.
It focuses on potential, not victimhood. “Save a child” charity ads usually to try to prompt action by provoking the viewer to feel grief for dying children, and guilt for not saving them. By contrast, Nkaitole’s bucket list (which he refers to as “an adventure”), turns out to be a lovely illustration of the way that the whole world loses out when a child dies young. Nkaitole dreams of beating Kenya’s fastest man in a race, and of playing soccer in the national stadium, which subtly reminds the viewer that preventable child deaths might also prevent historic athletic achievements, or the emergence of beloved sports stars.
Watch the video and then go read Amanda’s explanation (beyond the point above) as to why the video is so great.
