I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 17 and doing some homework I really didn't want to do. It wasn't until college that I began to enjoy homework, but especially junior year, when this event occurred, I procrastinated a lot. I was procrastinating by watching a documentary on YouTube (looking back, this isn't the worst sort of procrastination, but it was nonetheless). The documentary was called "The Story of Musicals" (if you are a theatre fan or an anglophile, I highly recommend it) and told the history of musical theatre in London. After the final part, I saw a recommended video that featured Benedict Cumberbatch. I clicked on, not wanting to do my homework, but what I found changed my life forever.

That sounds insanely dramatic, but it really did. The video was called Dramatic Need Children's Monologues–London. It showed a one-off performance of monologues written by children who were in arts programs created by Dramatic Need. Enchanted and moved by this video, which I've linked below, I immediately began more research, watching every video on their YouTube channel (of which there aren't too many) and visiting their website. This is what I learned: Dramatic Need is a British-based charity that creates arts projects for children in South Africa and Rwanda by sending arts professionals to educate them. There isn't much information about them because they don't exploit the children they educate. For the first time in my life, I felt that I needed to do something and that I absolutely could.

Basically, I'm a privileged human being. I have never had to worry about food, water, a home, family, education–any of it. The basic necessities of life have always been provided, plus more. I am writing this from a laptop I received when I graduated high school. I am sitting in my family home, a comfortable, two story house with AC and running water. I am drinking a bottled water I bought this morning. I never have to worry about what these children have to worry about.

I also grew up in community theatre. Now, the Artistic Civic Theater, where I spent most of my formative years, is a really nice community theatre, with lovely parents and families. In itself, it is its own community of support and love. I knew not all community theaters were as nice as the ACT (look at that creative title), but I figured most communities had a theater, or at least some arts center of some kind. The idea that there were children in the world who not only weren't being educated, but weren't being educated in the arts hit me really hard. Arts education may seem extemporaneous, but it is a necessity.

These children live in areas where violence is always the answer. Fear of drug lords, militias, or juntas are just the beginning for these kids. Their first worry in the morning is whether or not they are going to be able to drink water, clean themselves, eat, etc. There are children in these villages that have been raped. I cannot even imagine the horrors in the young lives of these children. These are the children who deserve an education in communication and the arts. They have extraordinary stories to tell and essential things to say. I am always beyond moved by everything they present, create and do. These children are living in areas of the most intense social injustice and, while the arts will not be the ultimate fix to the situation, they provide relief, therapy and hope.

I have never understood the idea that education in the arts is not necessary. Though I grew up in an excellent community theater and an incredible high school theatre program, sports were always the focus at my schools and even in my community. I am not saying that sports aren't great, I think any sort of activity for kids is great, however, arts are important as well and deserve to be treated as such. Dramatic Need gives these children an opportunity to learn how to express themselves. They learn about art, music, dance, and theatre. They learn to write, compose, sing, choreograph and share their feelings. I am proud to support, in any small way, any group that provides this education.

I wanted to help and knew that I could. I sent an inquiry email and the lovely people at Dramatic Need (a quick shout out here to Ruby McGuigan, the kind woman with whom I corresponded and gave me permission to use their logo, name and raise money for Dramatic Need) were very happy to allow me to help in whatever way I wanted. I'd always wanted to help charities, but had no idea how to and didn't know if I'd even be helpful. By simply asking, I was able to help, even in some small measure, this incredible organization. Last summer, my sisters, friends and I put together a musical revue to raise money for Dramatic Need. This summer, we put together a staged reading of Hamlet, featuring 12 amazing local actors. I am incredibly proud of anything we can do for Dramatic Need. For the first time in my life, I was able to do something for a charity that I really cared about, doing work in which I believe and support. While doing charity work makes me feel good and that's all fine and dandy, nothing compares to the idea that this organization is making a massive impact on the lives of these extraordinarily strong, beautiful children.

Charity work always seemed like this incredibly difficult activity, something only royalty, church groups and celebrities could do. Helping Dramatic Need was easy, wonderful and something from which I will never turn away. To the people at Dramatic Need, for your incredible work and allowing my support (in any small measure): ke a leboha.

This is the video from the 5-Year Anniversary Gala last May: