Positive Effects of Outside Cash
About the Author
Ben spends most of his time working with underprivileged kids in Tijuana, Mexico, encouraging them to continue their education. He's an unofficial member of Iglesia Bautista Monte Horeb, which runs the elementary school, Centro Pedagógico Didaque.
My last article centered on the negative effects of outside cash. Today we talk briefly about the positives.
The good things that come from help from outside are obvious. Someone gets fed, gets a home, goes to school, gets medical treatment, or gets a loan. NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and countries are the two sources of this type of help. NGOs are nonprofits, and they include denominations (churches), independent ministries (World Vision, etc.), charities of all kinds, and philanthropist ventures. Together, these organizations give aid in every possible form to every possible cause, backed by every possible theory as to what alms are all about.
Okay, getting a little boring? Let’s get specific. Most everyone agrees with the old adage or Chinese Proverb:
Give a man a fish and you will satisfy his hunger for the day. Teach him to fish and you will satisfy his hunger for a lifetime.
When this adage is put into practice, giving is always a good thing. But what about when giving is not positive? Well, we discussed that a bit in the last article. But at times one can give in a positive way without fulfilling the above quote.
Example 1: A young boy needs a kidney transplant; someone totally unrelated to the boy’s family (or country) pays for the surgery; the boy now has a working kidney and, for the sake of the argument, gives nothing in return, other than thanks.
Example 2: People are literally starving in Kenya; someone sends basic food staples; the recipients of the goods are (at least temporarily) no longer starving; the donators receive nothing in return (for the sake of the argument).
Example 3: Family loses home in mudslide and has no immediate resources to rebuild; a house-building charitable organization builds them a new house; family now has shelter; the building volunteers that donated their time and money receive nothing in return other than thanks (sake of the argument).
Okay, three great, understandable, and tangible examples, about which most everyone would agree that what was given had great value and should be given again in similar circumstances. However, none of the three fits into the old adage—at all (without bending, explaining, or throwing in a bunch of semantics)!
Point of the article: Certain instances and situations require (morally and financially speaking) outside help that does not teach the recipients how to do something and thereby gain new knowledge in the process.