How to help the poor best?

[Oscarthecat]

I’m thinking more of how an individual who is poor or near-poor by US standards (probably around average fro the rest of the developed world) can best help those whoa re totally poor – a woman I saw on TV who sold peanuts in Africa and couldn’t make enough money to afford ever to eat one of her own peanuts, despite a 72-hour workweek. She can’t just learn to fish; she is doing what is in demand in her economy. But resources are scarce. A small cup of dirty water one day, a couple of bites of dry sorghum the next, nothing the next, so she can pay rent on a spot on someone else’s scorpion-ridden dirt floor. What’s the most effective, efficient way someone who doesn’t hire people but struggles to hang onto work themselves, who has no spare room to rent out but lives in one room or two small rooms with guest restrictions, who has no money or time to fly to Africa and help out in person, you know, a normal first-world adult, maybe someone with kids and medical expenses, can make a big difference in the lives that need the most help? Is it government keeping all these people from their own resources? If so, what can someone so far away do about that? Is it lack of knowledge? Of what? And how can someone way over here teach anything to someone way over there? Why can’t we just put our extra clothes, food, medical supplies adn all that in a garbage bag and tie a note to it saying “please pass along to someone poor”? Well, because it wouldn’t get there. So out of all the programs and economic strategies, what has low to zero overhead, no chance of backfiring and proven power to change things?

Well, part of the problem in the situation you describe in Africa is that those in power in Africa are cleptomaniacs who have no concern for the poor in their own countries. This is not a rant against government in general, but against particular governments in 3rd world countries that don’t even pretend to care about the needs of the people they control.

Unfortunately, very little can be done on the macro level to help these people while the political powers of these nations are allowed to continue.

In the mean-time, you can look for programs that send people to these countries for short periods of time to provide individual help and support.

For example, my younger brother just returned from spending two weeks in the Dominican Republic. He is a dentist, and so he provided that kind support to the people who live in the campos there. You’d be surprised what kind of problems an unchecked cavity can cause- he provides a much needed service by treating abscesses, mouth infections, etc. These people are the poorest of the poor-they-they have no power, no clean water, nothing-he said that their only access to fresh water is by collecting it off of their rooftop when it rains. The program keeps a fairly constant rotation of doctors and medical personnel, but also folks with other skills who can help to dig ditches, build huts, bury wire, teach hygiene, all kinds of things. if you can’t go somewhere to help, that’s fine-my sister has helped out in the same program for years by teaching the volunteers basic spanish before they go there, and helping to train them on local customs and social norms.

Just about every Catholic University has some kind of program that helps the poor either in our own country or abroad.

 

[ribozyme]

If you find it hard to emphathize with other people, why does it bother you that you cannot help people on a large scale, like you claim George Soros allegedly does?

I do not like being around other people, and besides I have a greater capacity for sympathy instead of empathy. Also, since I follow utilitarian ethics, I do believe there is a strong moral imperative to reduce human suffering.

It pains me that I lack the funds necessary to help people at a macroscale level. (Again, I find it extremely hard to even talk to other people on a personal level.)

 

[Ender]

We desperately need health care reform and tax cuts that are larger for those on the lower end of the scale so they can put more of their $$ back into the economy. We tried giving big tax cuts to the top 2% with the idea that they would invest it and things would get better for everyone, but that hasn’t panned out so well

Those at the low end of the scale (bottom 40%) pay virtually nothing in personal income taxes. In fact, because of the earned income tax credit, when they file returns they typically receive money from the government. Just exactly how is it possible to cut their taxes when they are not paying any? Regarding the top quintile: were you aware that they contribute over 80% of all taxes collected? Or that the top 1% alone contributes about 38% of the total? I don’t think you have an accurate perception of who’s paying what in taxes.

taxfoundation.org/publications/show/85.html
ombwatch.org/article/blogs/entry/4729/3

Ender

 

[KingAlfred]

“How can we help the hungry most efficiently?”

I teach their kids, and do my best to promote pro-social values in the process.

 

[Ruthie]

Ribozyme, just because you can’t help people on a macro scale doesn’t mean you can’t help. $10 a month, say, to a food pantry may not seem like much, but it’s $10 more food for the poor… and you can mail it in and not have to talk to anyone.

Ruthie

 

[Fitswimmer]

Those at the low end of the scale (bottom 40%) pay virtually nothing in personal income taxes. In fact, because of the earned income tax credit, when they file returns they typically receive money from the government. Just exactly how is it possible to cut their taxes when they are not paying any? Regarding the top quintile: were you aware that they contribute over 80% of all taxes collected? Or that the top 1% alone contributes about 38% of the total? I don’t think you have an accurate perception of who’s paying what in taxes.

taxfoundation.org/publications/show/85.html
ombwatch.org/article/blogs/entry/4729/3

Ender

Actually, I’m just following the thought process of the President. When the economy started to go south-he didn’t give stimulus checks to the rich. Why would he do that, aren’t they his friends? Because even he knows that if you give a multi millionaire more money-he’s not going to put it back into the economy he’s going to add to his own personal fortune, but if you give it to some poor slob who is barely getting by, he’s going to go out and spend it. He will buy products, which will create a need for more products, keep people employed to make and sell those products…and the train rolls on.

 

[demol]

How can we help the hungry most efficiently?
Multiple choice. Please give your reasoning. I want this to start a conversation that will bring excellent, efficient, effective ways to light.
OK, it’s not letting me post a poll. I don’t get it. So just list the ways that might work
Here are a few to discuss:
freerice.com
hunger site
other clickables
other organizations
buy goods from poor countries
support democratic movements in poor countries (how?)
consume less

I like the freerice.com web site. Another one is Goodsearch:
www.goodsearch.com

Goodsearch is a search engine like Google and allows you to choose the charity of your choice. They donate $0.01 for every seach to whichever charity you choose.

 

[Fiji]

The greatest and fundamental need that people have is that for respect, love and attention as a human being. I live in a developing nation with 40% of our population living below the poverty line. I visit these people every week and take the youths from my parish to visit them also. In visiting them we hope to affirm their right to be loved and attended to. We also receive so much love from them as well. Let’s all do what we can do for those in need. There are different types of poverty - we are all in need, and we are here to help one another.