I saw a charity ad on TV today trying to encourage us (the viewers) to sponsor children in other countries. The example given was of a child in Honduras who has to walk quite a distance to fetch water for the family and then haul about half her weight back up the hill to her home. I am expected to feel sorry for this child and sponsor her to help her live her life.

Now, I don't have a problem with charity, I give to many, but I do have issues with people trying to tug at my heart strings in this way.

All over the planet people have evolved over thousands and thousands of years. The chances are that before the days of huge organised government and industry, many of these peoples are going to have been no worse or better off than other tribes/villages/etc. but over time, some countries have become heavily industrialised and been fortunate enough to have good government and these countries have moved ahead and others have not moved as much

In some cases, governments or more accurately individuals have destroyed countries and their prospects- take Zimbabwe for example- but in other cases, countries didn't have much going for them to begin with. It's sad, but there you go.

I'll tell you what I find interesting. When we find an isolated tribe that lives a stone-age existence, do we move in with TV, Internet, telephone, hospitals, water, electricity, gas, sewerage etc. No. We make sure that they are isolated and their way of life respected.

I think we should solve our own problems, nearer to home, before we start interfering with other people's problems...

Personally I prefer to give to charities that solve longer-term problems, especially health-wise. Though I do think we have a responsibility to help the other people of this planet, hence I am proud of the fact that the EU gives the most in foreign aid.

As it stands I give money to Asthma UK (rather selfishly!), the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK.

Politically speaking I give money to Liberty, Amnesty International and NO2ID.

Difference is we're already involved with their country - taking food that they grow for pennies. Mainly the supermarkets, but I can't profess to know everything that goes on over there.

Just playing devils advocate by the way, I totally support what you're saying. Once we have a perfect society here we should think about helping others. What good can we do for others when our own system doesn't work? Won't we make them like us? And then who will be to blame...?

I give to British Heart Foundation and Barnardos. I know some people who rely heavily on Barnardos for support, so that's quite selfish of me, and my dad has a lot of heart problems so again, selfish.

I know it sounds silly but if they have to walk 10 miles a day to get water why not just move closer to the river?

It's evolution me thinks

I havn't seen the advert, but from what you describe I don't think it's very good.

I agree that pulling at heart strings is wrong, and shouldn't be done in advertising. I've nothing against advertising though. If they were to have a nice upbeat advert about how x amount of money meant they could install a well in her local village then that would be great.

The only charitable causes I donate to are the Poppy appeal, children in need and comic relief (the latter two usually indirectly through sponsorship/buying cakes/sponging someone etc etc).

Perhaps when I'm grown up and have a proper job I'll donate more!

Couldn't you actually fit the well for the amount it costs to produce & air an advert?

When you find out how much of your money goes on "admin costs" you soon stop giving money

^

This.

Amusingly, I'm just about to set up some child sponsorship, albeit for a child's education rather than a well.

The significant thing about it is that I know the people that run the charity, and in turn how they run it (ie minimal 'admin' costs).

I agree. I usually flip channels at this point.



It's not something I've given thought to when I watch/hear about such things but from history most settlements occur close to water sources. I'd imagine the village must have problems with their local water supply to have to trek that far. There must also be other reasons why the village can't move. We're not getting the full story here.

It seems that in the case highlighted, she has to walk downhill for the water and then up again carrying a considerable weight. That is sad, but it is all that she has known, I suppose. That is sad as well, but we didn't put those people in that situation, I wonder what (or who) did.

Honduras has had trouble with conflict, but I'm darned if I can remember what, and that may be a factor. But let's face it, this is not a happy world and there are millions upon millions of children and probably a billion or two people overall who do not enjoy the same level of "civilisation" that most of us in the UK do- and there are a fair few of those millions in the UK anyway.

It's no good saying that we are a rich country and should help these other countries out. Aren't we now £1,000,000,000,000 in debt?

And, let's not forget that we have tried to impose our beliefs and systems on other countries- two come to mind right now- and look where that has got us. Everyone must have a cause that is close to their heart, but there are just so many and until we live in the utopia that is Captain James T Kirk's Earth, charity will only get us so far- sad but very true.

God, when you see all those people in Ethiopia, like dying of starvation and stuff, just, like why don't they move closer to the shops? They're so stupid.

You forgot the wink or smilie

I did, but I was hoping that even bratty would detect the mile high sarcasm of my comment.

That's incredibely narrow minded. Look at the figure you raise with no advertising and look at the figure you raise with advertising minus advertising costs, then choose which is the bigger amount. I think you know which one will be bigger.

Advertising is about finding the most efficient way of raising the most money. Tuigging at heart strings must be very effective, more effective I'd have guessed than an upbeat guilt-free, comfy advert. Within reason the charities can do what they want to raise money, most people are tight and selfish, as long as the charity's goal is to maximise money going towards the vulnerable then I'm all for it, all's fair etc.