From 5th through 7th grade, I called the tropical paradise of Okinawa, Japan my home. By looking at the beautiful photos of the islands, you would never know that Okinawa is actually the poorest province in the country. One surprising thing I learned while living there is that poverty affects 37% of all children on the island. Food insecurity is a major issue and I came to understand this at a deeper level.
One day while getting a sample of some new food at the grocery store, I saw two really little kids about 4 or 5 years old quickly slurping down samples of stew. At first, I was surprised that they actually liked the taste (too many onions!) but then I realized that they were hungry and that I literally had never felt hungry in my life. In December 2017 shortly after we had arrived on the island, my mom's work held a food drive so we purchased some non-perishable foods to donate. I remember thinking about those kids and I felt grateful for all of blessings in my life. I also never pick onions out of my food any more.
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