Says the ad on tv with these skinny skinny wrinkled kids in some far off country.
I’d like to know where do they shop?
ethiopian costco.
Uhhh…I think the idea is you give the charity money to get food and medicine for the kid.
My guess is that $26 is enough to purchase enough food and clothing to substantually raise the child’s living conditions. While you may noy be able to buy prime rib, you could probably get enough lower grade cheap beef, grains and powdered milk to make the child eat a lot better than they would in the stereotypical African village where it hasn’t rained in seven years. Likewise with clothing. You could no doubt get Goodwill clothing enough to clothe a child much better than the rags they’re usually portrayed in.
$26US probably goes a long way in an poor African country.
“$26US probably goes a long way in an poor African country”
I’m not sure about that. US dollars are tightly regulated in Africa. I suppose the people take a share of it for costs. How much actually gets to those in need is questionable. Plus, the US already sends tons of aid to them, right?
Well, you could sponsor a child & support them. How they would take a picture of themselves to mail to you is a mystery.
In general agencies that sponsor children keep about 20% for overhead, so out of your 26$ about 5.20 goes to the agency. This varies some and you can generally find out the percentage by either asking the agency or going to a group that monitors charities.
Well, I saw in the Houston Chronicle on Sunday that Vietnam has a per capita income of about 350 USD. Or, about $30 a month. Vietnam is certainly better off economically than a country like Ethiopia, so it seems logical that $26 a month would go quite a long way.
Which of course relates back to:
Would Vietnam war money have been better spent bribing the enemy to stop fighting?
How much goes to feed Sally Struthers?
If they’re going to have a spokesperson, find someone skinny for gosh sake, like maybe Lara Flynn Boyle, Calista Flockhart, or Courteney Cox Arquette.
i think how it works is that you “adopt” one kid, but it’s not like they are plucking one kid out randomly to be showered with gifts. I think the agency picks a community, assigns each kid to a sponsor, then pools the money to buy food, build a school, etc. if you pool the money and buy food in large amounts, i’m sure $26 is way more money than you need to feed the kid, especially in a poor country.
where does the extra money go? from what i understand, all those organizations are Christian and they use the extra money for missionary activities. so you might be helping build a Christian church or paying a minister’s salary (civilize those heathens!).
sorry, i don’t really have any proof on hand, it’s just what i have heard. anybody want to research?
i think how it works is that you “adopt” one kid, but it’s not like they are plucking one kid out randomly to be showered with gifts. I think the agency picks a community, assigns each kid to a sponsor, then pools the money to buy food, build a school, etc. if you pool the money and buy food in large amounts, i’m sure $26 is way more money than you need to feed the kid, especially in a poor country.
where does the extra money go? from what i understand, all those organizations are Christian and they use the extra money for missionary activities. so you might be helping build a Christian church or paying a minister’s salary (civilize those heathens!). anybody else think it’s kind of an under-handed sales tactic? not to mention that it’s a stop-gap measure that does nothing to really tackle the issues. imperialism and neo-colonialism create poverty. we could probably solve these issues better at home.
sorry, i don’t really have any proof on hand, it’s just the criticism i remembering reading somewhere. anybody want to research?
$26 dollars a month, even with 1/4 taken out for overhead for the charity, would most certainly be enough to feed and clothe a child in Ethiopia. Check the average incomes and cost of living.
As to if the picture you recieve will actually be of yourchild, well, that’s doubtful. If the charity is reputable, your money will indeed go to one child and it will be the gender you chose (if the charity lets you chose). But it probably won’t be the child you get a picture of. Administering that kind of program is virtually impossible.
I sponsor two children through Children International (each is $12/month), and they specifically state that they spend whatever you send them on your child (minus their own costs, I’m sure). Then they also ask for a suggested $25 four times a year (Christmas, Easter, the child’s birthday, and “Special Hug Day” in September), plus an annual parasite treatment for the child and his/her family if needed. They caution you against sending more than your pledged amount, because they claim it can cause more problems for the child’s family and strife in the community, if they are fighting over your child’s belongings (and they never get anything more than clothes and shoes).
I also get a photo once a year and letters three or four times a year (translated). I’ve never been able to write to them, though. What would I say?
Other than that, they have Oxfam-type projects: building schools, health education, etc. Right now they are trying to raise money after the terrible flooding in east India to rebuild schools and community centers, etc.