When I heard Chris Hemsworth was going to be on Sunrise this morning, I won’t lie I was pretty excited (I even considered setting my alarm so as not to miss it). But don’t worry I didn’t set an alarm, I got up and watched it on the sunrise website afterwards!
But the reason I’m sharing my Hemsworth obsession with you isn’t because I, like most women in Australia, have had a crush on him since he broke our hearts as Kim in Home and away but that today he was using that star power to share an important message. There’s been a lot of discussion in the media recently, particularly around Emma Watson, about issues not being noticed until a famous person is attached to it. Some people are annoyed by this, having the opinion that their help only trivialises the issues. I, however, think that it isn’t an issue of who says it and when it’s said as long as it is being said.
This morning on Sunrise Chris, in all his glory, spoke about the #NotAnotherChild campaign created by the Australian Childhood Foundation. This movement is about helping Australian children who are facing abuse, neglect and family violence on a daily basis. I’m not a parent, so I can’t imagine how it would feel to see your child hurt in any way or how I could be one the one to hurt them. But I was a child once, I grew up in the country and when I look back I know I was lucky. I came from a family of six and we fought, we played, we loved, we went on holidays and although my parents’ marriage ended in divorce when I was in year six, I don’t feel hurt or cheated or damaged in any way because I am lucky enough to know that regardless of how they felt about each other they loved me and they loved my sisters and they loved my brother.
Not all children have been this lucky and until we put our support behind them, not all children will be this lucky in the future. I witnessed children grow up in difficult homes, some of whom came out of their situation no different, and even stronger than I am. But there were those who due to a childhood of abuse or neglect – physical, verbal, mental and even unintentional – have not excelled in life the way most parents would hope to see their children excel.
Today I donated $25 and will continue to every three months to the Australian Childhood Foundation so that #NotAnotherChild has to suffer and so that they get the opportunities afforded to me and many of my friends. It isn’t a lot of money but it’s something that my uni budget can afford and one day I can increase it. You don’t have to donate, it isn’t all about money. If you want, just jump on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and post a photo from your childhood with #NotAnotherChild and get the word out there that not everyone is #blessed and some people, children in particular, need our help. And if you’re feeling game and follow Chris on any of these then tag him too, not for bragging or celebrity spotting but so he knows we’re on board and he’s making a difference!
This isn’t a plug, or a personal campaign, I love children and one day I will have some of my own, I can’t imagine my siblings being treated violently by either of my parents and I don’t want other children to have to experience it.
Ronnie 