I found Amy Smith's note regarding providing not only finished goods, but the skills that it takes to make them.
This is defined by a cliche statement, but a true and relevant one, regardless;
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime
And really, that's the bottom line. Living conditions in third world countries won't improve if you simple throw money and/or supplies at them. It can temporarily fix some local situations, but the goal is to establish lasting prosperity. By providing both local solutions and invaluable lessons on creating their own solutions, you have a recipe for success. Any other recipe, unfortunately, is destined for, well, nothing really.
Educating people in African countries about water safety and water disease prevention is exponentially more beneficial than simply curing their diseases. Or just giving them money.
That's another thing; money.
Money doesn't help people who lack basic living conditions. You can't drink money, and most certainly can't eat it. Money needs to be carefully invested into a smart array of fields. Money needs to go into long-term solutions, and responsible governments.
Therefore, the wh*** approach to assisting third world countries needs to change. We don't need celebrities coming in and being all cute, giving out Jolly Ranchers and laptops to the poor kids who have to walk miles to get a bit of water. We need people who can educate. We need sustainability, above all.
You need to be a member of Urgent Evoke to add comments!
Join Urgent Evoke