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@seeker wrote:
any opinion on Oxfam??
Oxfam has an excellent reputation in the field.
I am currently volunteering at our local Red Cross since they are teaching and training me in all sorts of basic stuff I’d otherwise have to pay to get the certification for *…so that’s a plus, isn’t it??
This is also how I started doing what I am doing now: a one week’s training by the Belgian Red Cross for international missions. The training was excellent and resulted in them sending me off to Angola, Malawi and Ivory coast.
i have asked myself some basic questions honestly ie: how easily could I live away from the grid? and am taking steps to maximize that answer
Often the technical part of doing relief or development work is not the problem. The problem most people did not foresee in coping with is ‘being away from family’, and moreso: ‘how is your family coping with you being away?’. So you are correct to concentrate on this stuff..
Essentially it means things like quitting smoking – what could be more pathetic than having a nic fit in a jungle?
Still have to go to a place where I could not find smokes… (apart from the Antarctic and some remote Pacific islands I went on expediton) :)
You want other tips? have a look at: http://www.aidworkers.net/, a website by and for the international aid workers. It has loads of stuff you can use to get yourself prepared.
Peter
@mikethehack wrote:
You already give money to the UN.
You pay tax, don’t you? Australia is a member of the UN and I assume they have paid their dues.Just a small clarification/correction: The UN humanitarian organisations like UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, OCHA,.. are voluntary funded. This means they do not get anything from the countries’ contributions to the UN system.
Each of the humanitarian projects, each appeal they do, is funded by contributions from individuals, governments and other organisations on an ‘ad hoc’ basis.This is one way to keep the organisations on their toes: if they perform well, their next project will be funded too. If not, contributions will dwingle down.
PS: if you are still looking to donate to a humanitarian cause, also have a look at Plan International (previously known as ‘Forster’s Parents Plan’. The concept is that you ‘adopt’ a child in the third world, and contribute monthly for that child’s healthcare/education. Twice per year you get an update directly from the child. Our family does this with a child in Pakistan.
Peter
There is good and bad apples in every barrel.
That goes for UN, NGO, IGO,.. I have seen UN wasting money, and places where they hardly get by living in very basic conditions. I have seen some NGOs wasting money because they don’t pay well enough to attract professionals but also in some places are so good with so little means that it is just amazing. All good and bad.
As a previous posting said: check out what the overhead is of the organisation. Less than 10% is good.
If it is not thousands of dollars you want to give, but a smaller targetted thing, then donate on the spot, for a project. Directly to the people.
Another tip: http://www.fighthunger.org, which is a concertium of NGOs, UN, IGOs, private sector doing very targetted work with food aid.
That is unless if you want to use your donation to pick up that hot Croatian chick you mention, but then a short holiday to Dubrovnic would be cheaper probably :D
Peter.
Lived in Dubai for 5 years. I agree it is an exciting city. Buzzing nightlife. Great potential, and dynamism… Shk Mohammed runs is well. I wrote a story of how we built a city in Dubai for the humanitarians: From sand to a city
But you should also check out the mountains. Drive 1 hour outside of Dubai and you have the most wonderful deserted mountains. Spent many a day and night camping there!
Peter
