Contractors can make a difference - red nose day

[shaunbhoy]

Will you clean my toilet?

Is that a euphemism?

[mudskipper]

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

WHS. Suity's heart was in the right place. Although being unpleasant to people not agreeing with him didn't do him any favours.

[mudskipper]

Is that a euphemism?

Apparently not

[fullyautomatix]

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.

.

I take it then, that their own people are not interested to help out, volunteer, donate etc and hence plenty of British like SY01 fly out there to do these menial jobs. I am not saying they should not be given help, but if you look at the African countries, they are rich in natural resources and oil and the government could not care less of the suffering of the people. Plenty of corruption seeping the society.

[NotAllThere]

Few people want to work there because the wages are very low and conditions are bad. The orphanage I visited had broken windows - no money to repair them. An American charity had supplied them with winter shoes - if that hadn't happened, they'd have gone without. It was -20°C outside, and about 15°C inside. They could barely afford to pay for the heating. Many of the kids got colds and flu', through not really getting proper food and care. If they got an infection, they just had to suffer through it - no money for drugs.

No. Most of the local people don't care, or feel they can't do anything. The government doesn't care. That orphanage was for kids who hadn't made it in the other, better orphanages. They'd been disruptive, or couldn't keep up with school work. Some of them were psychologically disturbed. Some were just dyslexic. Effectively, their orphanage was a place where they were left to rot. In many cases, if something isn't done, if help isn't given from outside, then nothing gets done. But when people from outside get involved, then local people do start taking an interest. They realise things can change. Then you can go on to the next place. Sure, you'll never help everyone, but you helped that one kid.

That particular country is middling corrupt. Not really badly, but it was fairly endemic. The people at the bottom end of society, get very little. You can't change the society, but you can make a difference.

The suggestion to SY01 about cleaning toilets is to show that there's no glamour in it. It's not fun, and heart warming - it's heart breaking and bloody hard work. It's awful. But it makes a difference, so it's worth it.

[Zippy]

Some sensible and considered thoughts in this thread and NAT's words are especially encouraging. I became somewhat disillusioned with organised charities after working for one (total fookin luvvie-fest) so I can see where the 'let's get together and do something' spirit is coming from.

It's difficult to know what you can do to help (that isn't lining someones pocket) but I'd think about what some of my ex-colleagues did when working in India. The people they were working with gave their time to help tutor poor children (and some money to help feed them), so when my ex-colleagues went out there they took notebooks, pens, pencils and a bit of cash etc. and gave them to the schools. It isn't much financially but it really helped.

[shaunbhoy]

It's difficult to know what you can do to help (that isn't lining someones pocket) but I'd think about what some of my ex-colleagues did when working in India.

I was out in Calcutta in 1995 putting in a Mobile Phone Network. I used to let the guys that I got to clean my shoes in the street, and some of the guys pulling me and my mates around in rickshaws, have a free go on my engineering mobile. Some of them were genuinely scared of it at first, and of course none of them knew anyone who actually had one. However, before very long we had shown them how to dial the speaking clock, and they seemed genuinely pleased and excited. It was only a small thing, but I like to think it made a difference to their rather mundane lives.

[d000hg]

Easy to say. Those "charidees" take rake offs. So do the celebs that help to promote them

Wake up.

Did I read on here that RND has a 70mill surplus?

I think this is a load of rubbish. A surplus isn't the same as keeping it for themselves.

Oh, and by the way, how the **** can you possibly suggest this is a self centered post? You'll get yours. HTH.

By the way you get all self-righteous at anyone who doesn't immediately agree with your revelation.

How about you lead by example rather than trying to get others to do things you want them to?

[shaunbhoy]

I think this is a load of rubbish. A surplus isn't the same as keeping it for themselves.
By the way you get all self-righteous at anyone who doesn't immediately agree with your revelation.How about you lead by example rather than trying to get others to do things you want them to?

Good point. So Suity, just to help you out.....in a d000hg stylee........

[MarillionFan]

Having travelled a lot in quite poor countries in Asia and Africa, I've done some voluntary/charity bit and pieces which frankly I'm not going to go into. As a large part of what I was doing there was buying for my own business. Visiting villages, people at home, buying from people direct, allowing them to sell at better prices and feed their families/villages.

In truth for the most part, it is money they need to be able to buy the basics to be able to grow their own food, learn the skills, get clean water, be educated.

Unless you have those skills to pass on, then frankly you're better to give money to organizations who do have those people and skills.