--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was young we had a collection for…" description: "\"When I was young we had a collection for the Welsh disaster at Aberfan and we also had a school campaign for Biafra. It is a wake-up call for kids - a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/lenny-henry-4682_disaster_when-i-was-young-we-had-a-collection-for_2928822.png" --- # When I was young we had a collection for the Welsh… ![“When I was young we had a collection for the Welsh disaster at Aberfan and we also had a school campaign for Biafra. It is a wake-up call for kids - a way of understanding that it's not all 'Blue Peter' for everyone and that maybe they can help.” quote by Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/lenny-henry-4682_disaster_when-i-was-young-we-had-a-collection-for_2928822.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/lenny-henry-4682_disaster_when-i-was-young-we-had-a-collection-for_2928822.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/lenny-henry-4682_disaster_when-i-was-young-we-had-a-collection-for_2928822.png) > “When I was young we had a collection for the Welsh disaster at Aberfan and we also had a school campaign for Biafra. It is a wake-up call for kids - a way of understanding that it's not all 'Blue Peter' for everyone and that maybe they can help.” [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on childhood activism, using past charitable collections for disasters to illustrate how early exposure to global suffering can motivate kids to understand and help beyond superficial media. **In simple terms:** Early activism teaches kids about real world suffering and motivates help. Key Takeaway Teach kids about global issues early. Themes activism education empathy global awareness Mood thoughtful inspirational Type educational motivational When to use this quote - school projects - family discussions - community service Key Concepts social responsibility historical memory activism Questions to Reflect On - How can we present difficult topics to kids responsibly? - What actions can kids take after learning? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex political issues for children. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [The timing was terrible, and having one disaster after another didn't help. I think the pictures on television of the way in which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-tauzin/the-timing-was-terrible-and-having-one-disaster-after-another-didn-t/) [Billy Tauzin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-tauzin/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [We are always just one successful terrorist attack away from a nuclear disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/we-are-always-just-one-successful-terrorist-attack-away-from-a/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [Even disasters -- there are always disasters when you travel -- can be turned into adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/even-disasters-there-are-always-disasters-when-you-travel-can-be/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Yes, life in Chechnya so far looks more like a life after a natural disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/yes-life-in-chechnya-so-far-looks-more-like-a-life-after-a-natural/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-gomez/obviously-it-s-my-goal-to-be-the-top-scorer-in-the-bundesliga-but-it/) [Mario Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-gomez/) > [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/) Tah the Trickster > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [My mind shrank from the menace sweeping down on us, as children's do from belief in death and misfortune, vainly clinging to the fancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-pankhurst/my-mind-shrank-from-the-menace-sweeping-down-on-us-as-children-s-do/) [Sylvia Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-pankhurst/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## More by Lenny Henry > [What a gift it would be if every child in the country could hear a professional orchestra at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/what-a-gift-it-would-be-if-every-child-in-the-country-could-hear-a/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [I lament the passing of 'Play for Today,' 'Armchair Theatre,' 'Screen One and Two' and 'Comedy Playhouse' - because these shows gave a platform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/i-lament-the-passing-of-play-for-today-armchair-theatre-screen-one/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [With every task you think, 'What did I do wrong there? What could I do better?' That's why I've spent my life gravitating towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/with-every-task-you-think-what-did-i-do-wrong-there-what-could-i-do/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [I think tax breaks for diversity is a good thing. In film now, what happens is you get huge tax breaks if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/i-think-tax-breaks-for-diversity-is-a-good-thing-in-film-now-what/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Corden's a comedy powerhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/corden-s-a-comedy-powerhouse/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Samuel Coleridge-Taylor has opened my eyes in many ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/samuel-coleridge-taylor-has-opened-my-eyes-in-many-ways/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Wouldn't it be great, if there was a one-stop shop where funny people could take their ideas and have them made?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-there-was-a-one-stop-shop-where-funny-people/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Stand-up's a lottery - you think it's funny but the audience can disagree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/stand-up-s-a-lottery-you-think-it-s-funny-but-the-audience-can/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [In the 1970s in black and Asian households up and down the country, there's a familiar story that when we saw a non-white person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/in-the-1970s-in-black-and-asian-households-up-and-down-the-country/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [It's about challenging yourself; wanting to do things that push you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/it-s-about-challenging-yourself-wanting-to-do-things-that-push-you/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [My dad never hugged me, never said he was proud of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/my-dad-never-hugged-me-never-said-he-was-proud-of-me/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [That's where depression hits you most - your home life. It doesn't affect your work. I can't do this zany, wacky, funny thing any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/that-s-where-depression-hits-you-most-your-home-life-it-doesn-t/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [A relationship can only work if you work at it. Marriage is the most difficult thing you will do - you've got to really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/a-relationship-can-only-work-if-you-work-at-it-marriage-is-the-most/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Perfection isn't everything, some mistakes are pretty groovy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/perfection-isn-t-everything-some-mistakes-are-pretty-groovy/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [If you don't know your history, you can't know your future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/if-you-don-t-know-your-history-you-can-t-know-your-future/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) [Explore all 107 Lenny Henry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) ## More Disaster quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [My mind shrank from the menace sweeping down on us, as children's do from belief in death and misfortune, vainly clinging to the fancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-pankhurst/my-mind-shrank-from-the-menace-sweeping-down-on-us-as-children-s-do/) [Sylvia Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-pankhurst/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/) Tah the Trickster > [Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-gomez/obviously-it-s-my-goal-to-be-the-top-scorer-in-the-bundesliga-but-it/) [Mario Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-gomez/) > [Yes, life in Chechnya so far looks more like a life after a natural disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/yes-life-in-chechnya-so-far-looks-more-like-a-life-after-a-natural/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Even disasters -- there are always disasters when you travel -- can be turned into adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/even-disasters-there-are-always-disasters-when-you-travel-can-be/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [We are always just one successful terrorist attack away from a nuclear disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/we-are-always-just-one-successful-terrorist-attack-away-from-a/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [The only aspect of our travels that is interesting to others is disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellmanmartha-gellman/the-only-aspect-of-our-travels-that-is-interesting-to-others-is/) Martha GellmanMartha Gellman [Browse all 2,239 Disaster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was young we had a collection for the Welsh disaster at Aberfan and we also had a school campaign for Biafra. 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