Don't give them a fish, teach them how to fish....how can one person start?

Question

a friend was transferred to Guatemala. Beautiful city, friendly people, and huge contrasts. She saw a little boy pick up a banana peel and eat it. Sure, she gave him $5, but was left with the feeling this charity money serves only as a conscience cleaner. How can one person help those children? Where to start?

Remember there is none or almost none governmental help or intervention there.

Answer 1

the five was a good start but you can start an anual charity at your school to go to the less fortunet people in your city.  Our school has a SADD club and a KEY club which are both charatable clubs for kids.  SADD is students aganist destructive dissios and it prevents kids for doing stuff that will land them on the street.  And Key club is a way for kids to help with charitable things.  Try geting these started in your school talk to a teacher about it.  It is really fun.

Answer 2

Call Oprah!

Answer 3

A charity that I love and give to is Heifer Int'l.  THey go into an area and give someone a cow, chickens, sheep, bee hive or whatever APPROPRIATE animal for the area (could be guinea pigs, whatever) teach them to care for it etc and then they pay it forward by giving up offspring to someone else and teaching them to care for it and so on.  They also plant trees and vegetation, help set up co-op dairies as well so that the people can take care of themsleves and don't end up depending on charity.  Also look at Kiva.com, they do micro-loans to people around the world to set up and maintain businesses.

Answer 4

Don't call Oprah! Just go and visit, take groceries to homes, spend time with the kids.