The Holy Bible in Acts 20:35 encourage Christians to be cheerful givers. “I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (K.J.V.)”. This is the foundation of charitable work. The world is grappling with major challenges of food insecurity, war, disease, among many other crisis that have led to massive loss of lives, disability among other misgivings. This calls for involvement of as many people as possible in charitable work (Gilbert, 2016) . Charity should not be a reserve for the wealthy in the society. College and university students should in fact be on the forefront. This group is composed of the most active age bracket who can find real purpose in life by actively helping humanity.
The Task Force for Global Health
The Task Force for Global Health is a not-for-profit organization of international repute that has served since 1984 to ensure a world free of diseases. The task force has set up and extensive program that focuses majorly on the health of citizens of developing nations. These programs include fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), intensive preparation for pandemics, fight against polio, training of medical staff on field epidemiology and generally creating an efficient health workforce, health informatics and medical excesses recovery (Health, 2018) . The organization has been a key link between the patients who don’t have access to critical medication and donors who wish to give out the medicines. These donors are majorly citizens of goodwill but also include governments, prosperous companies and renowned philanthropists. The organization has enjoyed a long term support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In one of his speeches, Bill Gates is recorded showering the founder of the task force, Dr. Bill Foege- who happens to be his mentor- with praises for his charity (Health, 2018) . There is no better approval a charitable organization can receive than one from the most renowned philanthropist globally. Though the organization engages in a variety of health related activities ranging from aiding improving health informatics systems, the Task Force for Global Health has been at the forefront of fight against NTDs through mass drug administration (MDA) (Health, 2018) . MDA has been proven to be the most effective means of fighting NTDs.
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Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
Neglected Tropical Diseases is a group of communicable diseases that are very common in the tropical region. The group consist of Buruli u lcer , Cysticercosis, Dracunculiasis, Chagas disease, Echinococcosis, Fascioliasis, Dengue fever, Leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic Filariasis, rabies, Soil Transmitted Helminthes (STHs), Human African Trypanosomiasis, Onchocerciasis , Schistosomiasis , Trachoma , and Yaws . Of these diseases six have been identified as being in a position to be effectively controlled and possibly eradicated completely through mass drugs administration (Global-Health, 2018) . This group has been labeled “targeted” or “tool ready” NTDs. These diseases include lymphatic Filariasis popularly known as Elephantiasis, Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis, Soil Transmitted Helminthes, Guinea Worm Disease and Trachoma. Statistics show that more than one billion people globally are at a high risk of contracting Elephantiasis. An additional 120 million people are living with the disease and require urgent attention since the disease leads to permanent disability by causing the limbs and breasts to swell. On the other hand more than 700 million people are at risk of contracting Schistosomiasis while 240 million people live with the infection already. This statistic is distributed among 74 middle and low income countries globally. STH affects even more people compared to the first two. More than four billion people globally are at a risk of contracting one of the three STHs while more than one billion people are already infected with the same. Lastly, about 540 million people distributed among 57 middle and low income countries are at a risk of contracting Trachoma. An additional 40 million people already live with the disease (Global-Health, 2018) . The Task Force on Global Health has been on the forefront in the fight against targeted NTDs helping patients access the drugs in large quantities. The organization as well supply preventive mechanisms e.g. preventive drugs and support staff in areas likely to be affected by the diseases (Health, 2018) . Mass Drug Administration not only has the advantage of more effectively treating the diseases but also reduces the cost of treating a patient by as much as 50% annually (Global-Health, 2018) .
Why donate?
Former director of the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention as well as former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher suggests that caring is the genesis of leadership. The college and university students as it has become cliché are the leaders of tomorrow and ought to be very excited about giving (Gary, 2008) . Just by considering the six “targeted NTDs” we notice that already more than six billion people globally are in dire need of drugs. This is an opportunity, albeit indirectly, to touch the lives of more than six billion people. No single organization or even government can afford supplying this population with drugs regularly. There is need for as many people as possible to join the movement and help eradicate the diseases and give the patients and those at risk of contracting the diseases a dignified life (Gary, 2008) . Most of these diseases are very demeaning. Schistosomiasis popularly known as Bilhazia, for example causes its patients to egest bloody faeces (Global-Health, 2018) . This makes the patients very uncomfortable and lowers their self esteem. Moreover, these diseases have a tendency of weakening their victims thus drastically reducing their productivity (Global-Health, 2018) . A less productive population will sink into poverty and hunger thus burdening the rest of the global population with aid requests. It is prudent to assist restore the productivity of these populations before they sink into a crisis situation. True to this the Task Force for Global Health views their responsibility as being to control, and eradicate diseases that weaken their victims. Moreover, the organization seeks to strengthen health systems to enable them approach the needs of the people in a broader perspective (Health, 2018) .
Why college and University students
College and university students are more likely to be between age 20 to age 26. As young adults aspiring to take up a variety of leadership roles in the near or far future, college students seek to find real purpose in life. The young adults seek a fulfilling life they can live for the rest of their life (Gilbert, 2016) . This is the best time to start engaging in a culture of giving. Psychologists argue that habits nurtured at this period stick to old age (Gary, 2008) . Moreover, this age group is more prone to work in unity and will most likely mobilize each other with a lot of ease.
Imagine living in old age knowing all your life you’ve helped millions of less fortunate individuals. That is the power nurturing the spirit of charity in college has. The beauty of engaging in this course is the ease at which the objectives can be achieved. Most young people would shy off charitable activities because often they entail hard and, in the view of the youths, embarrassing tasks like getting to the streets to perform street clean-ups or walking round the estates with documents seeking donations. Donating to the Task Force for Global Health can, however, be a very easy and fun activity.
How the students can go about it
The students may organize themselves into support groups and mobilize funds amongst themselves (Gary, 2008) . With the high population in colleges and universities the support groups, if well organized will be in a position to mobilize enough funds to procure drugs for donation. These funds would later on be used to buy drugs and then drugs donated to the organization. This would prove very effective in that in those support groups the students not only encourage each other to keep donating but also get a chance to socialize and network. Charity clubs would go a long way to transform the social orientation of the students (Gary, 2008) . Take this as an alternative to engaging in socially unapproved activities. You get fun and allegiance from socializing with peers while at the same time helping the world fight a major challenge.
Secondly the students may choose to organize drug collection drives (Gary, 2008) . This can be archived through innovative programs like drug drive concerts. The students can organize social gatherings like parties where the gate charge can be drugs worth a certain amount of money. The outcome of such parties will be shocking. When you charge money as entrance to an event it often looks expensive. However, charging medicine as the gate pass makes such events seem very affordable (Gary, 2008) . The students should come up with activities that attract as much fun loving youths as possible since the category harbors the majority of the age group.
The presence young adults have on social media makes achieving the objectives even easier. The support groups would not even need to move about the campuses to popularize the drives. All this will be achieved online by creating trending topics around the drug drive.
The idea of coming up with support groups to achieve the objectives, however, does not lock out those who may wish to engage in the same privately. A good number of students may feel vulnerable to stigma in the event they make less contribution compared to their friends (Gilbert, 2016) . The good news for this category is the ease with which donation can be made to the organization. The task Force for Global Health has made deliberate efforts to secure privacy of donors who may wish to keep their activities personal. The organization has an online portal accessible through the organization’s website. Through this portal anyone can donate as little as one dollar without fear of stigma from friends.
Experts on psychology describe a fulfilling life as one that makes one glad about living each day. It entails the feeling of happiness, gladness, and love among other. Most experts explain that the key to a fulfilling life is adopting healthy hobbies and engaging in virtuous activities (Gilbert, 2016) . These activities give one the sense of satisfaction. It is very gladdening to help people in need of what you are in a position to offer. Statistics show that most people in their old age get really ecstatic when they are reminded of acts of kindness, some as simple as sharing a meal with a neighbor, they showed someone during their earlier years. The old folks admit that some of their best moments in life were when they helped someone who needed their assistance (Gilbert, 2016) . Imagine how fulfilling it would be if you not just helped an individual but six billion people globally. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity no youth should let go.
References
Gary, T. (2008). Inspired Philanthropy: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Giving Plan and Leaving a Legacy. Boston: John Willey and Sons.
Gilbert, D. (2016). Stumbling on Happiness. Oklahoma City: Alfred A. Knopf.
Global-Health, D. o. (2018, March 7). NTDs Home: Diseases: Centre for Disease Control and Prevention . Retrieved from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Website: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/ntd/diseases/index.html
Health, T. T. (2018, March 27). About: The Taskforce for Global Health . Retrieved from The Taskforce for Global health Website: https://www.taskforce.org
