In my previous post, I wrote about how mobile phone carriers have made it so easy and so convenient for the average person to donate to the relief efforts in Haiti. There is absolutely nothing wrong with donating via mobile phone – that’s what I did, actually. However, there is only so much that an individual can give in terms of money, right? If you look at things from a wider perspective, though, if more people band together to help out, the results just might be so much better.

I was actually inspired by this story I read at The Guardian the other day. It’s about a group of mothers who organized a sale – baby toys, books, and clothes. They got together to raise cash to donate to Unicef’s Haiti Earthquake Children’s Appeal. Being mothers, their hearts were touched by the plight of the children in ravaged Haiti.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

Ms Sheffied said: “We just wanted to give more than we have ourselves, and we thought a charity sale would be the best way to do this. So many children have been left orphaned or homeless by the earthquake, so it’s vital that funds are raised to support them. We just hope lots of people will come along to support us. We think this will be a really fun morning for local families, and most importantly we aim to raise money for the children of Haiti.”

They’re in the UK, but the location is not important. If they can do something like this, anyone from any country can set up something similar. How can you help Haiti? Ask yourself that.

Categories: Fundraising, International Aid | Tags: Fundraising, Haiti, International Aid, natural-disaster

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The advent of mobile technology has made giving donations to charities so much easier. When the awful flooding hit The Philippines late last year, major mobile carriers in the country opened up text lines to accept donations. When news of the Haiti earthquake became known, the same thing has happened in a much wider scale.

Experts tell us, however, that while it is convenient for us to donate through text messages, it may take up to 90 days before the money actually gets to the people who can use the money to help the victims. The good news is that mobile carriers are already implementing measures to help hasten the process.

On the other hand, this convenience has also opened up possibilities of scammers getting through to well-intentioned individuals. As such, you have to be careful and discerning in how you donate money to Haiti. Here are some tips to help you out.

• Check out numbers with the mentioned charity. You can do this by going to their web site or giving them a call. Facebook status messages are all over the place: send HAITI to this number and that number to donate to certain charities. Before you send anything, check it out first.
• Do not click on links in e-mails and instant messages automatically just because they say something about Haiti. This is a formula for disaster. Either you get a virus or you become a victim of phishing. Again, whatever the charity is, make sure you check it out first. Google is not here for nothing, you know.
• Visit the Better Business Bureau’s web site or give them a call. If you want to donate to a certain group and you have misgivings, your best bet is to get in touch with this agency.

Have you done your part yet? If not, it’s time that you did, but make sure you do it safely!

Categories: Disaster Relief, International Aid, Tips | Tags: Haiti, International Aid, mobile donations, natural-disasters, Tips

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And you wonder why some people are averse to giving to charitable causes. Every time we hear of a large scale catastrophe, we also hear of charities stepping up and doing their share to help the people who have been affected. But then, we also hear of those unscrupulous people who try to take advantage of the whole situation.

Take for example the latest disaster to hit parts of Australia. Bushfires have left countless of people homeless. Others have lost more than their homes; they lost family members and friends to the raging fires. Naturally, charities are stepping up their efforts to raise funds to help those in need.

Then scammers enter the picture. Late last week, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sent out a public warning that “scammers could take advantage of the situation.” Live News reports:

In the wake of previous disasters, such as the 2003 Canberra bushfires, scammers collected money after pretending to represent legitimate charities.

ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel has warned that scammers could use door knocks, emails or even approach people in the street asking for money.

While giving to charity is admirable, you should not leave yourself vulnerable to scammers. What can you do to avoid being victimized?

One, always ask for appropriate identification. This, however, is not foolproof. IDs can be forged any time. It would be better to seek the official channels of charity and give your donations there. Instead of merely handing out your donations to anyone who approaches you, look for registered charities and make sure that the money or goods that you donate reach the appropriate people.

Categories: Charities, Environmental, Fundraising, International Aid

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At any given day, there is always a good cause which could use help. These days, though, Gaza is at the forefront of things. The longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has once again materialized and is affecting the lives of many civilians. I wrote something about the United Nations and the United Arab Emirates encouraging the international community to do something about the plight of the people in Gaza just a few days back. It seems that the call has not gone unheeded as the Al Mourjan Restaurant has already organized a charity dinner to benefit Gaza.

The charity dinner will be held on the 20th of this month and roundabouts 200 business leaders of Qatar are expected to attend the function. The dinner is dubbed Reach Out To Gaza Charity Dinner and is being organized by the restaurant, in partnership with Reach Out To Asia. The latter is a non-governmental organization which works to provide assistance to those in need.

The proceeds of the charity dinner will be sent to Gaza with the aim of using the money to address the most immediate of needs. These include humanitarian issues such as first aid kits, ambulances, and food. Looking into the future, the organizers also hope to use the money to help with the rebuilding of schools once the situation in Gaza stabilizes.

If you are in the area or you know someone who is, here are the ticket prices.

WIP table for 10 – QR15,000
VIP table for 10 – QR10,000
VIP table for 8 – QR8,000
VIP table for 4 – QR4,000
Standard table for 4 – QR2,000
Regular tickers – QR500 (SOLD OUT)

To find out more about the restaurant and to get in touch with them, click here.

Categories: Activities, Charities, Events, Fundraising, International Aid

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Gulf News reports that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Nations (UN) have sought the international community’s help in providing assistance to the war-torn Gaza strip.

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates and the United Nations have called on the international community to come forward to extend assistance to the people of Gaza who are passing through difficult times.

“These are exceptionally dangerous and difficult times for the people of Gaza, and it is imperative that the international community extends its assistance wisely,” said Abdul Haq Amiri, Head of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Dubai.”

With the escalating violence in this latest episode in a thousands of years-old conflict, being caught in the crossfire are innocent civilians, mostly on the Palestinian side.

According to the report, more than 900 Palestinians have been killed, and about 4,000 injured, mostly women and children, since the attacks began December 27th last year. At this time, though aid–in the form of food, supplies, fuel, etc.–is hard to come by. Even as aid and support have resumed, there is widespread obstruction of humanitarian assistance.

The U.N. announced Friday that it would resume staff movement and aid deliveries in Gaza after receiving assurances from the Israeli Ministry of Defense that aid workers would be better protected. It had suspended some of its work Thursday after gunfire from an Israeli tank killed one aid truck driver and injured two others.

Among gulf countries, only Saudi Arabia and the UAE are extending assistance through the UN; other nations in the region are skeptical of the UN’s motives behind its assistance. Still, with casualties and injuries escalating due to the conflict, it makes sense for nations–from both sides of the conflict–to extend assistance to the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Categories: International Aid | Tags: gaza, israel, war

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