Charity: Where does it really begin?
No place in the world is free of inequality, not even Communist nations ("Communist" China has in fact among the greatest income inequality of any nation in the world with the richest 10 percent of the population owning 45 percent of the country's wealth). Anyway, regardless of where you go, you'll see poor people. While there are many poor people in the U.S., in the developing world, the conditions of the poor are really stark.
While I am sure lesser developed countries in Africa and other parts of Asia (or even in India outside the silicon plateau of Bangalore) have even worse living conditions for their poor, even in Bangalore, the daily lives of the people who reside in the slums is very moving. I found this article, almost like a blog post, very interesting.
To Fill Notebooks, and Then a Few Bellies
I completely agree with the author in everything that he says, and if I were in his shoes, I would probably behave the exact same way. Now, no matter where you live, if you are reading this blog post, you are not among the poor in your country. No matter where we live, we get desensitized to the poor who live around us. There are a few deeply religious people who devote their lives to living and working with the poor and working for their betterment. But for the majority of us, that's just not practical and feasible.
When I am waiting at the traffic lights in Bangalore, the arrival of beggars is really a big dilemma. Even in my scooter, I am riding something that is probably a year's income for them. And in my car, well, the amount it cost is probably something they would earn in more than a decade.
But the thing is, you can't help them! Giving someone a few rupees doesn't solve the problem. In fact, if it is kids, you're not making the situation any better. The kids usually aren't begging for themselves but usually for their families. The more they make, the more likely it is that their family would not send them to school but out on to the streets to beg. But then again, by not giving them anything, it's almost always more likely that they would be going hungry.
But even if you do give someone a few rupees, you'll see people like that in so many places. You can't help everyone! And throwing a few rupees here and there really is a way to ignore the problem than attempt to mediate it. Usually, whenever I do make donations, I make substantial donations to charitable organizations and the like.
The organizations I generally support are Help Age India and an animal charity like CUPA, mainly because in my opinion, old people and animals are among the most helpless in society. Rather than going through charities, the other options is to give money to old people on the street and buy some bread for some street dogs whenever you can. Again, there's a world of difference between throwing money around and going about charity in an organized manner.
A charity like Help Age India runs programs that gives old people capital with which they can set up small cottage industries making foodstuffs, etc which they can sell in their local communities. It's akin to the old adage of the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him to fish. One is short term while the other is long term. Similarly, CUPA runs a variety of programs that addition to feeding stray dogs and cats also help to find homes for them as well as neuter and spay them. Again, you're contributing to a long term solution.
This blog has actually spurred me to action to. I just took a few minutes break, found an empty can in my house and dropped my first three rupees of change into it. By the time I get back to the U.S. the next year, I should have a fairly sizable amount of money in there which I can donate to the above mentioned charities. As you read this blog post, I urge each and every one of you to find some empty can or bottle in your house and start a change receptacle. Once it fills up, take the money to your bank, deposit it and donate it to Help Age India, CUPA, or any other deserving charity in your own country or elsewhere.
In the meantime, what do I do about the beggars I see on the streets as well as the four newborn puppies that are lying on the vacant site across the road from my house? Well, sadly, nothing. I've already said why it's useless to give money to beggars on the street and as for the puppies, if I feed them now, what then? What about when they grow old? We certainly can't have four dogs in addition to the dog that I have now. Sadly, nature doesn't know compassion. It's survival of the fittest everywhere, except where we humans have warped the laws of nature with our own foolish ideals. While it's heart wrenching to see those puppies suckling their mother (who is now pretty much skin and bones) for milk, there's really nothing that you can do. The only thing I do in such matters is attempt to take comfort in the principle of karma. While it would be a bit crude to interpret it as "they had it coming to them," ultimately, that's the gist of it. Nothing is undeserved and suffering in this life absolves sins in past lives and this ultimately leads to a better life. However, religion and philosophy don't always seem to make things right or explain them, but that's why I am thankful we humans have the capacity to be desensitized.
While I am sure lesser developed countries in Africa and other parts of Asia (or even in India outside the silicon plateau of Bangalore) have even worse living conditions for their poor, even in Bangalore, the daily lives of the people who reside in the slums is very moving. I found this article, almost like a blog post, very interesting.
To Fill Notebooks, and Then a Few Bellies
I completely agree with the author in everything that he says, and if I were in his shoes, I would probably behave the exact same way. Now, no matter where you live, if you are reading this blog post, you are not among the poor in your country. No matter where we live, we get desensitized to the poor who live around us. There are a few deeply religious people who devote their lives to living and working with the poor and working for their betterment. But for the majority of us, that's just not practical and feasible.
When I am waiting at the traffic lights in Bangalore, the arrival of beggars is really a big dilemma. Even in my scooter, I am riding something that is probably a year's income for them. And in my car, well, the amount it cost is probably something they would earn in more than a decade.
But the thing is, you can't help them! Giving someone a few rupees doesn't solve the problem. In fact, if it is kids, you're not making the situation any better. The kids usually aren't begging for themselves but usually for their families. The more they make, the more likely it is that their family would not send them to school but out on to the streets to beg. But then again, by not giving them anything, it's almost always more likely that they would be going hungry.
But even if you do give someone a few rupees, you'll see people like that in so many places. You can't help everyone! And throwing a few rupees here and there really is a way to ignore the problem than attempt to mediate it. Usually, whenever I do make donations, I make substantial donations to charitable organizations and the like.
The organizations I generally support are Help Age India and an animal charity like CUPA, mainly because in my opinion, old people and animals are among the most helpless in society. Rather than going through charities, the other options is to give money to old people on the street and buy some bread for some street dogs whenever you can. Again, there's a world of difference between throwing money around and going about charity in an organized manner.
A charity like Help Age India runs programs that gives old people capital with which they can set up small cottage industries making foodstuffs, etc which they can sell in their local communities. It's akin to the old adage of the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him to fish. One is short term while the other is long term. Similarly, CUPA runs a variety of programs that addition to feeding stray dogs and cats also help to find homes for them as well as neuter and spay them. Again, you're contributing to a long term solution.
This blog has actually spurred me to action to. I just took a few minutes break, found an empty can in my house and dropped my first three rupees of change into it. By the time I get back to the U.S. the next year, I should have a fairly sizable amount of money in there which I can donate to the above mentioned charities. As you read this blog post, I urge each and every one of you to find some empty can or bottle in your house and start a change receptacle. Once it fills up, take the money to your bank, deposit it and donate it to Help Age India, CUPA, or any other deserving charity in your own country or elsewhere.
In the meantime, what do I do about the beggars I see on the streets as well as the four newborn puppies that are lying on the vacant site across the road from my house? Well, sadly, nothing. I've already said why it's useless to give money to beggars on the street and as for the puppies, if I feed them now, what then? What about when they grow old? We certainly can't have four dogs in addition to the dog that I have now. Sadly, nature doesn't know compassion. It's survival of the fittest everywhere, except where we humans have warped the laws of nature with our own foolish ideals. While it's heart wrenching to see those puppies suckling their mother (who is now pretty much skin and bones) for milk, there's really nothing that you can do. The only thing I do in such matters is attempt to take comfort in the principle of karma. While it would be a bit crude to interpret it as "they had it coming to them," ultimately, that's the gist of it. Nothing is undeserved and suffering in this life absolves sins in past lives and this ultimately leads to a better life. However, religion and philosophy don't always seem to make things right or explain them, but that's why I am thankful we humans have the capacity to be desensitized.
posted by Vivek at 11:45 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Vivek, Nice article. Ya, I agree that giving money to road-side beggars is not the solution. That even encourages them not to work to survive. I can't tell you how many times my parents have offered someone asking for money some odd work in exchange for money or food or clothing, but they just don't want to do it. Its this laziness that puts me off. But I guess I don't know their side of the story and life history. Either way, 'karma' seems to be final excuse for all this.
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