Why in the 21st Century does this exist?

[taximan007]

I am sure I don't know the answer, and probably things will never really change, we will never live in an "ideal world".

I have just watched a documentary on this story and it certainly tugged at the heart.

http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200702/20070209/slide_20070209_284_101.jhtml

It just astounds me that now in 2007 the gulf between the western world and the third world doesn't appear to be getting any smaller.

I appreciate a lot of the problems in the third world are caused by their own governments (corruption is rife), at least that is the case here in the Philippines.

Having completed my own small project here, I thought I would be coming back to the UK early in the New Year, but having watched this I am not so sure, I am going to do some more research and see if there is anything I can do in any small way to help.

I am not naive enough to know that one person will never change the world, but if I can help to feed just ONE child or help rescue ONE child from a life of slavery then I feel i will have achieved much more than I ever did in the UK

With Christmas approaching I hope you will find just enough time to read this story.

Thank You

image removed

[MKKfish]

This is NOT a brag but, (in my opinion), a much more constructive and long term benefit way of giving...

On holiday with Michelle, (my other half at the time), in Gambia we met a really intelligent but somewhat surly young guy who was working as a waiter at the hotel.

One evening I was chatting to him and managed to get past the chips this guy was carrying on both shoulders. It transpired that he had just finished his High School diploma finishing in the top 5% of the country. As his family were not 'connected' that was to be the end of his education and the best he could hope for was a job in one of the hotels.

His intelligence coupled with having to serve fat sunburned tourists who were spending more in an hour poolside than he earned in a week has really begun to fuck with his head.

I've had folk try and sucker me for cash before so I wasn't falling for any crap and to be honest he didn't pitch for any.

Anyway when Michelle and I returned to the UK we still were troubled by this guys situation and talked about what we could do to help.

He had mentioned that what he would ideally of liked to do was to become a qualified accountant. Over the next few weeks we became more and more determined to do something.

So we contacted CIMA in the UK who gave us details of colleges/tuition in the Gambia. Having contacted them and costed courses, books exams etc it worked out that it would cost about £750 a year for 4 years to change this guys life. Understand here that this was more than this guys annual salary!

Anyway we set it all up with CIMA and the college with us paying money directly to them quarterly.

We would receive letters from the guy with photocopies very proudly displaying exam results etc.

Upshot is four years later he is now fully qualified - has a good job and supports his whole extended family in a way that would not have been previously possible.

The long term benefits are various but in his own words "I can now look after everyone but more importantly I will be able to educate my children as well".

Cliche I know but "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day - teach a man to fish and he will eat every day".

[taximan007]

 

[boldie]

This is NOT a brag but, (in my opinion), a much more constructive and long term benefit way of giving...

On holiday with Michelle, (my other half at the time), in Gambia we met a really intelligent but somewhat surly young guy who was working as a waiter at the hotel.

One evening I was chatting to him and managed to get past the chips this guy was carrying on both shoulders. It transpired that he had just finished his High School diploma finishing in the top 5% of the country. As his family were not 'connected' that was to be the end of his education and the best he could hope for was a job in one of the hotels.

His intelligence coupled with having to serve fat sunburned tourists who were spending more in an hour poolside than he earned in a week has really begun to fuck with his head.

I've had folk try and sucker me for cash before so I wasn't falling for any crap and to be honest he didn't pitch for any.

Anyway when Michelle and I returned to the UK we still were troubled by this guys situation and talked about what we could do to help.

He had mentioned that what he would ideally of liked to do was to become a qualified accountant. Over the next few weeks we became more and more determined to do something.

So we contacted CIMA in the UK who gave us details of colleges/tuition in the Gambia. Having contacted them and costed courses, books exams etc it worked out that it would cost about £750 a year for 4 years to change this guys life. Understand here that this was more than this guys annual salary!

Anyway we set it all up with CIMA and the college with us paying money directly to them quarterly.

We would receive letters from the guy with photocopies very proudly displaying exam results etc.

Upshot is four years later he is now fully qualified - has a good job and supports his whole extended family in a way that would not have been previously possible.

The long term benefits are various but in his own words "I can now look after everyone but more importantly I will be able to educate my children as well".

Cliche I know but "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day - teach a man to fish and he will eat every day".

Well done and that is indeed the way to do it.

A friend of mine works in Ethiopia as a teacher..and has done so for about 5 years now. I tend to give my money to him directly so he can use it for his school.(not some sort of missionary work but just a normal "let's make things better" school).It's fantastic when you know that ALL the money you are giving will actually be used directly to help rather than giving it to a charity (some of which take a decent cut to cover their costs)...the guy costs me a fortune though..and i know that every time he's on the phone it's gonna end up costing me money..

[technolog]

This is NOT a brag but, (in my opinion), a much more constructive and long term benefit way of giving...

On holiday with Michelle, (my other half at the time), in Gambia we met a really intelligent but somewhat surly young guy who was working as a waiter at the hotel.

One evening I was chatting to him and managed to get past the chips this guy was carrying on both shoulders. It transpired that he had just finished his High School diploma finishing in the top 5% of the country. As his family were not 'connected' that was to be the end of his education and the best he could hope for was a job in one of the hotels.

His intelligence coupled with having to serve fat sunburned tourists who were spending more in an hour poolside than he earned in a week has really begun to fuck with his head.

I've had folk try and sucker me for cash before so I wasn't falling for any crap and to be honest he didn't pitch for any.

Anyway when Michelle and I returned to the UK we still were troubled by this guys situation and talked about what we could do to help.

He had mentioned that what he would ideally of liked to do was to become a qualified accountant. Over the next few weeks we became more and more determined to do something.

So we contacted CIMA in the UK who gave us details of colleges/tuition in the Gambia. Having contacted them and costed courses, books exams etc it worked out that it would cost about £750 a year for 4 years to change this guys life. Understand here that this was more than this guys annual salary!

Anyway we set it all up with CIMA and the college with us paying money directly to them quarterly.

We would receive letters from the guy with photocopies very proudly displaying exam results etc.

Upshot is four years later he is now fully qualified - has a good job and supports his whole extended family in a way that would not have been previously possible.

The long term benefits are various but in his own words "I can now look after everyone but more importantly I will be able to educate my children as well".

Cliche I know but "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day - teach a man to fish and he will eat every day".

Great story - well done 

[suzanne]

Very sad indeed that in this day and age children still have to work for buttons to contribute to the survival of their siblings. Even more criminal that they have to do jobs that will endanger their lives.

Great story MKK and I would love to do something similar.

I have a couple of direct debits for minimal amounts (im pretty skint) that go out every month to charities, I cant help thinking that most of the money i donate does not reach the kids that i want to help.

It must be a great feeling knowing that you have changed this guys life and the ripple effect in his family will be there for generations.