For those of you who don't know her, Kelsey is the What You Ought To Know humanitarian aid correspondent.
For those of you who don’t know her, Kelsey is the What You Ought to Know Humanitarian Aid Correspondent. In fact, right now, she’s laying under a mosquito net in a hut in the middle of no where, South Sudan surrounded by hordes of bloodsucking insects afraid to cross the floor to get some much needed malaria prophylaxis because of a cobra that was found and killed in her doorway the night before. I know what you’re thinking. Who is this Kelsey? and How Big was the snake really? and Why do a show on humanitarian aid now? I mean, the US Economy is tanking. [Humming Taps] and we don’t exactly have a lot of spare cash lying around.
People need humanitarian aid? Was there some kind of disaster I missed? Our current economic woes are the latest disaster. Everything’s connected. You know how the stock market’s doing. Or isn’t doing. With times getting tough, our first instinct is to tighten the belt and lock down the money. Hands off my Benjamins. Ben, Abe, Alex, George, we’re going to have to stick together.
According to Market Watch, the real disaster is that our current economic crisis will cost lives. Remember how we told you that the price of food was going up? Well, now that times aren’t good, you better believe that the humanitarian aid donations are going down. And that means people who normally get help from our country, won’t.
But wait, governments give out lots of foreign aid. They take our taxes, then they give it to other people. So that should be enough, right? Problem solved. I feel better already. Don’t get too comfortable. Remember that’s basically the same excuse Ebenezer Scrooge had thrown back at him by the ghost of Christmas present. And you do not want to be scrooged. Even if it isn’t Christmas. So, if government spending isn’t getting the job done, and you know it isn’t ’cause they spend money abroad about as responsibly as they do here, then What Do You Need To Know?
Outside of government, humanitarian organizations are called NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations). They’re normally tax-exempt so you can donate to them and take a deduction. NGO’s can be big or small, religious or secular. They might take government handouts, or your donations, or both. One might supply medical care, another provide food, and another manage a refuge camp. It all sounds so altruistic. It’s like I can’t go wrong. But, a word of warning to would-be donors. Kelsey says whatever you do, don’t just give to the guy who comes on TV and asks for money.
“Please, only you can help save Everybody! $0.15 out of every dollar goes to some kid who needs stuff. It’s a good cause. And the rest goes to a VERY good cause.”
NGO’s haven’t existed in their current form for very long. And they’re a conduit for billions of dollars of aid each year. It’s actually one of the world’s largest unregulated industries. Anyone can start an NGO. You don’t have to be certified, you don’t have to have a diploma, you don’t even have to be sane. And, to top it all off, there’s no real guarantee they will spend your money in the right way. Oh great, way to go What You Ought to Know. Tell me to give, and then warn me that they could be crooks. Now, I don’t’ know what to do.
Well, you can stick to donating to big humanitarian aid organizations you know, like the Red Cross, but there are plenty of smaller ones that are worth your dollars as well. Just do a little research and look for the following:
Accountabiliy- Find out if they’re a part of an Accountability organization like Humanitaria Accountability project or People in Aid.
Standards- See if they follow the Sphere standards, or the Red Cross code of conduct.
Follow the Money- Check how much of every dollar makes it to the people in need.
$0.12, $0.10 of every dollar!
Monitoring- Find out if they have regular monitoring and evaluations of their programs.
Or if you don’t mind snakes and mosquitoes, you could volunteer. But you’re not going to do that.
We put a link on our site to an article by Kelsey that explains humanitarian aid in detail. Take a few seconds, and get the info you need before you put your donation into the right hands. No, you can’t end world hunger on your own. Actually, maybe you can. Fine, take it all.
Transcribed by: Karla W.
Links
Kelsey’s Brief Introduction to Humanitarian Aid
Market Watch – THOMAS KOSTIGEN’S ETHICS MONITOR – Harsh reality
Doctors without Borders
Oxfam
Save the Children
MercyCorps
International Rescue Committee
World Vision
United Nations suggestions of good NGOs
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
World Food Programme
UNICEF
UNFPA
UNAIDS
UNEP
UNFAO
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership
People in Aid
The Sphere Standards
The Red Cross Code of Conduct
More links than you’ll need (or use).
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24 Comments
dth4h95
"...and the rest goes to a VERY good cause" that was hilarious!jonyfries
Something to remember also is that the best intentions doesn't always mean good results. Food shipments are a perfect example, sure they prevent famine in the short term, but in the long run they drive the price of food to zero and make it impossible for local farmers to ... moremjb3190
and i thought this was the only job that allowed crazy people... haha! but seriously, great show!musicfreak
I just wish it to be known that it's not the snakes or mosquitos that you should worry about, it's actually the diseases that you could get from the really bad water.....or mosquitos.....in those third world countries. But if you have a steripen (and water filter) and some deet you'll ... moreKel [22]
That is chilling, RoR. It's a concern I've long had... using aid for food, medicine and clean water is pretty much a no-brainer, but only if you also put into place people who will keep them going. A school is worthless if there aren't any teachers in it. I hope ... moreRabble of Redheads [22]
Here is a link to a related article on the BBC, about corruption and unwise distribution practices in Africa. Enjoy!...or actually don't, its not fun, but very informative. It calls attention to the need for reform on international levels so that Western governments do not bankroll corrupt and dangerous leaders ... moreGeek 2.0
Hey now, RandomGuy, I remember the rules, you weren't allowed to say "Sub-Saharan" because it was degrading, even though the "Sub" part was a reference to location, not status.pkw
Kelsey- Cool. Thank You.kelsey [22]
Wow! A correspondent! I hope that title comes with all sorts of accolades and absolutely no responsibility! As far as the comments above: 1) Yes, lovely hair today. 2) The cobra. Well, you might be disappointed to know it was about the size of your average garden snake...but it was a COBRA (!!) people! 3) Thanks for doing the show! I agree with almost everything everyone said - even those who are disillusioned with humanitarian aid. I have just returned to our compound after doing a distribution of items to people who have lost their homes in recent flooding. We ... lots moreNospinplease
hahaha, money makes me equals D! I do quiet a bit of community service work and it feels really good. I do try to donate when I can and I feel it is safe.Teagan [22]
I love your facial expressions ^^Abaddon
But, you didn't answer the most important question! How big was the snake, really?Gurgle
Good show, hope you steripenned those dollars before rubbing them on your face.RandomGuy
In High School policy debate last year, the topic was "Resolved; The United States federal government should substantially increase public health assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa." What I learned from it is that more people die from water related diseases than all the other reasons combined. Of course, this includes Mosquito reproduction (leading to malaria) and water-borne disease that causes diarrhea (which dehydrates the body and leads to death without proper medicine). I would suggest donating to PUR packets, which is run by an NGO that donates life saving water cleansing packets to those in need... Then again, the argument that ... lots moreRob B
Your hair looks really nice today Brettsteph {207}
I've donated a lot of my money of the years and still continue too. I donate to mostly red cross, breast cancer association, kids against hunger, toys for tots, and my school blanket drive. I don't donate to anything that doesn't put more than 80 cents to the dollar for charity. But more than just money I've donated a lot of my time. Just this year I've reached a goal of 100 hours of community service and its still rising. I'm going for 200 hours next year. I love helping out my community and people in need. It's just a ... lots moreMeandering {207}
Great episode. This is something we do need to remember, that even though things are tightening up we should still set aside what we can for humanitarian aid. Thanks Winn Brothers for the reminder, especially at this time of year.Kel [22]
This one's my favorite-- barely any of the money goes for administration, and they do really good work. Take a look, if you're looking for a cause to support. http://www.fcnindia.org/index.htmeffamy
excellent. i did a lot of research a couple of years back before deciding which organization to set up a monthly donation with (i'm no bill gates unfortunately but it's worth a big dinner out each month at a really chic restaurant and hopefully someday, when i have a real job, i can do more). Now I've managed to swing most of my family into the idea of giving to charity each Xmess (not a real fan of the season myself...) instead of trying to figure out what useless thing to buy for people who need nothing. Even with the ... lots moreDandapani [22]
Jesus said: For ye have the poor always with you...Tae
I really appreciated today's show, for it's something I feel enthusiastic about. Pkw, I understand where you are coming from. What's that phrase - "give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day, but teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime". That being said, let me further say that I believe that humanitarian aid can be given in many ways. Donating money is one thing (and a GOOD one thing), but think of all the other ways we can reach out. It doesn't have to be something large; it can be ... lots moreCurtis [22]
About 15 years ago, I suggested to my growing family that we were buying too many presents for each other at Christmas. So we decided for the adults to only exchange two gifts (we would all still buy gifts for all the kids under 18). One gift would be a single-name exchange, and for the other gift, each adult would give $20 that we would pool together. One of the adults (rotated every year) would then donate it to any charity they chose. As the kids grew, they couldn't wait to turn 18 so they could be ... lots morepkw
I try to look for organizations that help people temporarily, but have the overall goal of helping individuals, families, and communities to sustain themselves and magnify their own ultimate well-being. I have had something on my mind for months that I think might be appropriate to share now. I get a little annoyed when I hear comments like- such and such organization sees the price of food going up, so they're not going to be able to afford to do handouts like they've always done. Therefore, all the people they served before are now going to starve unless we fork over ... lots morenick
wow, 12 cents of every dollar... great show