In Reply to: No wonder you haven't been invited posted by retsub_keeg on Sunday, 1. February 2009 at 13:15 Bali Time:
After volunteering in a nursing capacity in Bali, which I still do to this day and enjoy it more than working in our own healthcare system, I too felt that what I was giving was too small and making the poor basicaly dependant on the Westerners. So I thought how can my donation to these people continue giving something to them after I have gone home etc. I invested in supplying my Balinese extended family with sewing machines and overlockers, and rolls of fabric. They now make there own clothing, have a small shop and with the profits of there clothing sales are able to purchase basic food, housing, education, medical needs and purchase more material to make more clothing etc. Thus they have created for themselves some sustanability. What I get out of it, the good feeling that I was able to make a small dream/business for someone elsecome true. The choice is yours what you do with your money, yes some of us spend months, years saving for these holidays, so I do understand, but as I say, give them a Hand Up not a Hand Out. But please be aware now, since your post, that poverty does exists in Bali, Indonesia and other places in the world. You only have to go off the beaten track a little and look at how some of the villagers live in the mountains. As for soup kitchens in Oz, yes there is some unfortunates, who need these services, but we are extremely lucky to have the financial, medical,housing, and education needs handed to us on a platter. Gripe if you will bout these services at times, but other countries simply do not have them at all!!