Contractors can make a difference - red nose day

[OwlHoot]

I tell you what, if no one on here responds, I will do it myself. Seriously.

Thanks for you valued contribution.

You can't be serious Suity, surely. You'd leave your family to go and help a bunch of strangers half way round the world?

Apart from anything else, they wouldn't even be grateful, quite the opposite. In the Spanish Civil War more idealistic young foreigners who turned up to join the revolutionaries were killed by them than by Franco's lot - "Revolutions eat their children", and daft foreigners who get involved make nice little snacks. You'd end up dead in a ditch with a bullet in your head.

[NotAllThere]

Re: Any further comments along those lines I'm just going to delete. There's enough slanging gone on in this thread already to keep everyone satisfied

... And other deserving causes. That's why I think the whole 'adopt a child' thing works well - your cash helps a named individual - you can see the huge difference it makes. Unfortunately, most of those charities are run by Christian organisations, and, whilst I've nothing against Christianity, I don't think getting the help should come with a bible...

Worldvision is a Christian organisation that helps people all over the world. In many of the countries they work in, it is absolutely forbidden to seek to convert, or even communicate ideas about Christianity. Their mission is to do the "feed the poor" part of the gospel, as they see it. Consider Mission Aviation Fellowship - the first in and out of a warzone, providing medical aid. Too busy getting the IV drip in and saving lives while the bombs fall, to be preaching sermons.

A friend of my son wanted to do some overseas voluntary work. The only organisations that would take on a student, with no practical skills (i.e. not a plasterer, not an engineer, not a doctor), were Christian missionary organisations. Crucially, they did not require volunteers to be Christian. These were missionary organisations, but not proselytising organisations. What they needed were people who would do what ever jobs were required on the project - cleaning toilets, serving food, changing urine soaked mattresses at orphanages, changing nappies...

I spent ten days in an Eastern European orphanage a few years ago. It was a lifechanging experience. And I'm sure that other members here have done similar. But you need to do it with an organisation and with some local contacts, or you'll get nowhere. You can't just tool up and ship out, I'm afraid.

[OwlHoot]

What they needed were people who would do what ever jobs were required on the project - cleaning toilets, serving food, changing urine soaked mattresses at orphanages, changing nappies...

I just don't get this. Why the flip can't the people in those countries clean their own toilets, and change their own matresses?

Why do a bunch of do gooders have to go half way round the world to do it for them? I'm genuinely puzzled.

[NotAllThere]

From my experience:

The orphanages are understaffed. Few people want to work there, conditions and the wages are lousy. The only people who work there are either dedicated people, or the low skilled. There are not enough people to do all the jobs, so jobs don't get done. Toilets remain dirty. Bedding doesn't get changed. There's a shortage of money as well. The choice is: new mattress or food. Expectations are low. Clean toilets just doesn't seem important.

A group of volunteers turning up at an orphanage can improve conditions by doing some of the basic jobs. But not just that. The children and staff feel that there are people who care, so morale improves. If you know there are people who support what you're doing, then it helps you to do your job. Of course it's best if things are done locally, but there is such a culture of apathy and hopelessness (at least where I visited), that it takes some outside input to get things moving.

From my visit, I made contact with someone who I could trust to take any money I raised, and spend it wisely. That means that the costs of me going can instead go directly to the orphanage. However, it's still good to go in person from time to time, because the personal touch means a lot. For some of these children, the fact someone travelled thousands of miles to spend time playing cards with them means the world to them. It may be the only kindness they experience in their lives. ( The staff are not usually cruel, they're usually indifferent. A very few are kind and dedicated and truly amazing people to meet).

Until you go in person, you don't really know what it's like. From your armchair it's difficult to understand why they can't help themselves and why you going makes such a difference - even enabling them to help themselves. Once you're there, it becomes very clear.

[TykeMerc]

I don't normally participate in SY01 threads, but it's clear from the responses that this is yet another attempt at self serving, attention grabbing bollocks from the SY01 bullsh1t generator.

[EternalOptimist]

I don't normally participate in SY01 threads, but it's clear from the responses that this is yet another attempt at self serving, attention grabbing bollocks from the SY01 bullsh1t generator.

Bollocksy though it may be (boasting about things you have yet to do) it's still 100 times better than that other twat, who pretended he had done things that other people had done. the tornado pilot git

[Clippy]

Bollocksy though it may be (boasting about things you have yet to do) it's still 100 times better than that other twat, who pretended he had done things that other people had done. the tornado pilot git

You say that but at least that twunt eventually realised he had a problem.

[EternalOptimist]

You say that but at least that twunt eventually realised he had a problem.

purleese,
see the difference between someone who gets a bit exhuberant and over-emotional when they get pissed, and someone who does real harm in the real world

[darmstadt]

I'm with you on this one. Me and some German mates will be arriving in the UK in a weeks time to provide some essential services such as emptying bins, helping out in hospitals, teaching people how to manufacture stuff, etc. If someone would kindly put us up for a week, maybe even two we'll be most grateful.

[mudskipper]

I'm with you on this one. Me and some German mates will be arriving in the UK in a weeks time to provide some essential services such as emptying bins, helping out in hospitals, teaching people how to manufacture stuff, etc. If someone would kindly put us up for a week, maybe even two we'll be most grateful.

Will you clean my toilet?