UKC

I got a request to donate via a justgiving link to a colleague heading off for one week to help children in Africa.

What is the net benefit to the comunity concerned of this? A person (with no hard to locate construction, educational, medical, engineering qualifications etc.) flying over, at their own expense, for one week's work.

Would it not be more beneficial to use the money donated to this person and their airfare to pay for a local to undertake the work? The cost of the airfare would pay for this local for considerably longer than one week, giving them and their family much needed income as well as them having local knowledge and involvement and probably being around for much longer to manage the work and do maintenance etc

Where I do donate, it is to organisations working with professionals (e.g. MSF), use locals (Plan International) or long term campaigns (Survival International) that seek to apply pressure on goverments and other organisations at a high level.

In reply to Flinticus:

I kinda share your opinion. Its in some ways a holiday that let's the person feel like a hero for not really doing much. It does however educate them and make them a spokesperson for what life is like for some of the poorer people in the world and (from seeing the effects on people who've done there trips) probably makes a longterm benefit from that and the money donated or raised later.

Some are better than others. Some of these trips raids a lot more money than just the running costs and part of the job is getting much needed supplies (eg medical) out there. I ac5ually donated £40 a few months back to a lass going on one like that for 10 weeks, though that was more of a gift to her really as she's the girlfriend of my little sister, but I knew they'd both worked hard towards it.

I agree donations to MSF and similar accomplish more and have a friend who has just returned from one placement with them. The jobs they do are amazing. She got experience by doing the first kind of trip though and that helped her when applying to MSF.

In reply to Scarab9:

That's a good point you make about the effects on those who undertake them, though I think I will continue to donate as I do (as I've carefully selected the charities I support).

Having said that I will give my nephew some when he goes on a similar thing with his school next year! Though that's really supporting family.

In reply to Flinticus:

Yeah pretty much how I conclude and act

In reply to Flinticus:

Definitely more beneficial to donate to professional organisations who are working already in the field for a longer period of time.

In reply to Flinticus:

I don't think they are entirely bad.

But if you consider an airfare to Ghana for example runs at about £750 return, the money spent on visas, travel and expenses to allow someone a jolly in Africa (where they can get the adoration/FB do-gooding updates they crave) would be far better spent going to the school/orphanage/village directly. Even better, donate the thousand pounds directly to development agencies working in the country, which employ local staff with that money.

In reply to Flinticus:

Mostly a racket. Large amounts of money and direct aid, ends up as commissions/ bakshish to the elites who profit again from their corruption and profligacy. I've got no time for Oxfam or any of the big 'aid organisations' who now seem to be part of U.K. foriegn policy. 'll give money to the medical charities MSF/ Red Cross/ MDM. Off for a week to get photos with poor black children? What a stroker.

D

In reply to Flinticus:

It surely isn't for his airfair or expenses? If it is he's a selfish tw*t and you should tell him so

In reply to Flinticus:


I wouldn't donate myself.

I try to see it the other way round. What if an African who'd never been to Britain before flew here to work for one week in a depressed area/ area of need? What would he/she do, and how much good would it do? I don't know - only asking innit.