CHARITY
I have been thinking about charity today. I am blessed to have all of this time (what time?) on my hands and I feel a need for me to give something back. You would think that if you wanted to donate your time and effort to a good cause that it would be a simple thing. Our country is filled with need. I have no doubt that you too see the need out there every day. Yet I have found it immensely difficult to find a local cause that I can support. I got to thinking about how I select a cause that really resonates with me? I think it starts with passion, but I am sure it needs to be more than that. And like the good list maker that I am, I made a short list of my quality requirements:
1. Project must resonate with me. My soul needs to overflow with compassion for the cause and I must be moved to do something about it.
2. Project needs to be close to where I live.
3. The need must be legitimate.
4. I would like to empower people rather than provide handouts.
I have long believed that there needs to be some sort of organisation that works toward matching up potential donors with legitimate needs that exist. This will allow donors to select projects according to their own quality requirements. It will also provide a voice for those who have no voice or visibility to be heard and seen. I saw a website like this in the UK. It is called The BIG Give (http://www.thebiggive.org.uk/). There is something similar in SA called Charity SA (http://www.charitysa.co.za/western-cape.html) which lists all of the charities in the country and what they require. The problem with all of these lists is that they deal mostly with the big stuff. I have been looking for smaller local projects and that seems to be a far more difficult thing to do.
Searching the net has revealed some seriously interesting charities. There are web sites like JDI (Just Do It – http://www.jdi.org.za/). This is a pretty cool organisation. The idea is that this is a place where people who want to make a difference can get together. You and your mates can create a group or join a group that will invest some time and resources into a project or organisation. I really like the idea of contributing a fixed amount every month together with a group of your friends and then getting together and spending that money on a cause close to your hearts.
There is an organisation that seems to have some novel fundraising activities on the go – check out the Starfish Greathearts Foundation (http://www.starfishcharity.org/home.aspx?id_content=1). Their suggestions include dinners that you host (they supply some hosting packs) for you and your friends. Another idea is the sponsorship of your participation in sporting events (again you get a pack). You know how your children come home with those dreaded forms for some or other epic two kilometre walk, well now you can continue that tradition as an adult and get sponsored by all of your mates. Hopefully by now, you can run all two of those kilometres without stopping!
There are others that stand out, like Reach for a Dream (https://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_cause&cause_id=1305). That really appeals to me as it satisfies a hunger of the human spirit rather than a hunger that will be back tomorrow. Francois Pienaar’s MAD (Make a Difference Foundation - http://www.themadbunch.com/home/index.php) also seems to be doing good work although there are only 24 members and I am not sure that I would fit into such upper class company!!
Numerous international charity organisations are doing work in South Africa. This amazes me on many levels. I live here and am embarrassed that I can be so apathetic that somebody thousands of kilometres away must fight to make a difference.
I saw a great quote on one of the web sites:
'I believe that this could very well be looked on as a sin of our generation. I look at my parents and ask, where were they during the civil rights movement? I look at my grandparents and ask, what were they doing when the holocaust in Europe was occurring with regard to the Jews, and why didn't they speak up? And when we think of our great, great grandparents, we think how could they have sat by and allowed slavery to exist? And I believe that our children and their children, 40 to 50 years from now, are going to ask me, what did you do while 40 million children became orphans in Africa?'
I have been thinking about charity today. I am blessed to have all of this time (what time?) on my hands and I feel a need for me to give something back. You would think that if you wanted to donate your time and effort to a good cause that it would be a simple thing. Our country is filled with need. I have no doubt that you too see the need out there every day. Yet I have found it immensely difficult to find a local cause that I can support. I got to thinking about how I select a cause that really resonates with me? I think it starts with passion, but I am sure it needs to be more than that. And like the good list maker that I am, I made a short list of my quality requirements:
1. Project must resonate with me. My soul needs to overflow with compassion for the cause and I must be moved to do something about it.
2. Project needs to be close to where I live.
3. The need must be legitimate.
4. I would like to empower people rather than provide handouts.
I have long believed that there needs to be some sort of organisation that works toward matching up potential donors with legitimate needs that exist. This will allow donors to select projects according to their own quality requirements. It will also provide a voice for those who have no voice or visibility to be heard and seen. I saw a website like this in the UK. It is called The BIG Give (http://www.thebiggive.org.uk/). There is something similar in SA called Charity SA (http://www.charitysa.co.za/western-cape.html) which lists all of the charities in the country and what they require. The problem with all of these lists is that they deal mostly with the big stuff. I have been looking for smaller local projects and that seems to be a far more difficult thing to do.
Searching the net has revealed some seriously interesting charities. There are web sites like JDI (Just Do It – http://www.jdi.org.za/). This is a pretty cool organisation. The idea is that this is a place where people who want to make a difference can get together. You and your mates can create a group or join a group that will invest some time and resources into a project or organisation. I really like the idea of contributing a fixed amount every month together with a group of your friends and then getting together and spending that money on a cause close to your hearts.
There is an organisation that seems to have some novel fundraising activities on the go – check out the Starfish Greathearts Foundation (http://www.starfishcharity.org/home.aspx?id_content=1). Their suggestions include dinners that you host (they supply some hosting packs) for you and your friends. Another idea is the sponsorship of your participation in sporting events (again you get a pack). You know how your children come home with those dreaded forms for some or other epic two kilometre walk, well now you can continue that tradition as an adult and get sponsored by all of your mates. Hopefully by now, you can run all two of those kilometres without stopping!
There are others that stand out, like Reach for a Dream (https://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_cause&cause_id=1305). That really appeals to me as it satisfies a hunger of the human spirit rather than a hunger that will be back tomorrow. Francois Pienaar’s MAD (Make a Difference Foundation - http://www.themadbunch.com/home/index.php) also seems to be doing good work although there are only 24 members and I am not sure that I would fit into such upper class company!!
Numerous international charity organisations are doing work in South Africa. This amazes me on many levels. I live here and am embarrassed that I can be so apathetic that somebody thousands of kilometres away must fight to make a difference.
I saw a great quote on one of the web sites:
'I believe that this could very well be looked on as a sin of our generation. I look at my parents and ask, where were they during the civil rights movement? I look at my grandparents and ask, what were they doing when the holocaust in Europe was occurring with regard to the Jews, and why didn't they speak up? And when we think of our great, great grandparents, we think how could they have sat by and allowed slavery to exist? And I believe that our children and their children, 40 to 50 years from now, are going to ask me, what did you do while 40 million children became orphans in Africa?'
Rich Sterns, President of World Vision (US)
Hmmmm – and these people live on my doorstep! Did you know that in July 2006 there were 27,000 orphans in the Western Cape alone. By 2010 this number is supposed to have increased to greater than 51,000. We know that there are problems and it seems so hard to do something about it. Not everyone can go and feed a motherless child or do homework with a struggling teen. And yet who will if we won’t?
There really are some wonderful stories out there. I exchanged some mails with a lady who runs an organisation called CASE – community action toward a safer environment. Doesn’t sound like much but here is this woman in the heart of the worst gang areas in Cape Town working diligently with the youth to try and make a difference. A couple of months ago, she had her entire organisations office contents stolen. And still she is out there trying to get some more stuff donated and focussed on breaking this cycle of violence. Respect!
A lot of these websites include their own inspiration. Many of them talk about a couple of mates chatting over coffee and coming up with these grand ideas that have just grown into these wonderful ventures. Starfish started out that way and now supports just less than 35,000 children, from none a mere six years ago. The need is so huge and people have found innovative ways to start to make a difference. Start small and see what happens! In fact I am a little disappointed in myself. What on earth have I been doing while all of these children have been starving and homeless. Oh yes, I remember now, thinking about myself!
Making a difference is hard, but I suppose it is harder to fight for a piece of bread every single day of your life!
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