Our feet’re touching the same ground

Published on May 31st, 2012 - by Chanon Categorized in Personal Developmentgood-deed

Somalia: MSF foresees rise in severe malnutrition – Photo by RNW Africa Desk

We may physically differ from a number of genes inside our cells. No matter whether you classify yourself at a higher or lower level compared with people around you or people on the television, your feet are touching the same earth at the ground level like the others.

While you’re laughing, drinking, or thinking about purchasing latest mobile technologies, someone at the other side of the world crying just for a next meal to live for another day. The people who need food and love like you do.

Before start convincing, $100 is debited monthly from my bank account since May, 2010 in order to do what I’m going to convince you. I did this as I feel like to and I’ll stop doing this when I feel I like to stop as well. Wishing you consider the same, using your right to spend your dollars.

5 reasons why you may consider a donation

You may need million reasons or no reason when you are going to start doing something. However, below are some of the points that could be encouraging.

1. Donation is tax-deductable

Yeah, government do not funding the charity. However, they do return some amount back to you at the end of financial year (I think around 45% from overall). If you’re busy finding career related receipts for the refunding tax. Why not doing something that’s really meaningful for someone and get some money back if your point is just to give away your dollars. The refunding is a bonus!

2. Your dollars worth than they’re in capitalism area

Remember that day? Finishing drunk night and waiting for $51 change from the lady beer. Instead of returning $50 note and a single dollar coin, she return 2 x $20 notes and coins for the rest. You then, left only a dollar coin in the tip tray and keep the rest dollars in your pocket. Before you completely turn away, you heard something like ‘WTF!!!’ loudly from her eyes.

Yes, a dollar mean nothing in many places but really mean a life in some places. Spend your dollars wisely ; )

3. You can tap on volunteer’s shoulder, saying “You’re understood”

How many time you see those, the group of people wearing the same uniform on the street interrupting people, doing hard sale? How annoyed when you’re trying to walk away, turning your eyes down, make yourself look busy in the rush hours but suddenly they’re coming close to you with the big smile and say ‘How’re you today?’.

These people look like MLM guys who doing direct sell, trying to close the sale in all possible ways.You’re right, they’re acting like beggar, never care the people on the street who sometime stare at them with really pity eyes. However, they’re not begging for themselves, they do it for those who will really appreciate your help. You could be there, tap on their shoulder and say “I’m on your side!”

4. Donation is a sickness reliever

Happiness come straight away after you make a donation (if you feel like it isn’t, stop donation immediately!). It may not much excited as when you got something you really want from someone. However, the happiness of giving comes in small amount but last longer. It will cheers you up, make you feel like someone when you’re feeling no one. After you get magazines from the Charity, you will start to understand how your money has been used.

You will see that many people are having the real worse problems. You’ll feel that you’re really lucky at the point you’re standing. You’ll feel that, at least, you’re really making some difference to the world and you’re not leaving it to somebody else’s problems. You did what you can comfortably do!

5. Someone may follow you

Most people may not understand what you’re doing, some people may negatively put you at the charity sick area. However, you’re the one who understood what you’re doing. And believe me, a few people will understand you. Those people who are waiting with their clean mind, waiting for a trigger from you. They’ll be encouraged by your action and they may spread that like what you’re doing. Your amount will not stop at its value.

Médecins Sans Frontières – Doctors without borders

I was honestly know nothing about this organization. I know UNICEF, Red Cross, Greenpeace, etc. However, it was happened on the right day and the right time. Jason, one of MSF volunteers come straight to me in my bored day outside rush hours. With a big smile, he started the ice breaking, asking about my earring that look similar to him. I was impressed not because I think he’s really want to know about my life, but I was impressed because his selling skills are better than those who were trying to sell health care products or try to put me to their direct sell cycle. He’s then, got me at the end of the conversation.

  Médecins Sans Frontières is an organization who provide relief for refugees, natural disasters, etc. They're also feeding life in an crisis hours. The volunteer shown me a dollar meal pack and informed me that this is enough for one children in a day. In other words, a single dollar can extend a single life for one more day. Not only this organization doing this, however, they were infamous to me so I think they do need a support than the famous organizations.

Lastly 'Donate' but do not 'Damage' yourself

Like I said, use your right to spend your dollars. Do not let charity destroy your life or your family. Do what you can do, may be 1% of your income or drink less glass of beers over the weekend, or quit smoking. If you’re spending money for Church or Temple in your religion, keep doing that because that support the priests who passing the philosophy for those who may need.

However, if you feel like doing the direct help, you may going out, finding your local charity and research on what do they do. Or you consider the large organization who is always appeared when the situations require them.

That’s it. You don’t need to locate yourself in the middle of the world’s confliction, or taking risk of being shot by bullets but you can still make the difference!