Donations in Kind ~ How You Can Help . . .
Starthrower Foundation is regularly offered donations in kind -- books, school supplies, office supplies, clothing, shoes, food, eyeglasses, etc. And, although we appreciate the sentiment and generosity of spirit, in almost all cases, we have to say Thanks but No Thanks. Here's why.
At Starthrower, we believe in giving a hand up, not a hand out.
To understand the distinction, think back to when the only money you had was money that a parent or guardian had given you -- your allowance. This is a hand out.
Now think back to the day you got your first paycheck or when you were paid for babysitting or mowing a neighbor's lawn -- money you actually earned. Remember the sense of pride you felt when you got money that you had earned.
There is dignity in working for money.
Earning money boosts your self-esteem. There is no dignity in receiving a charity hand out. Living on charity alone and for a long time erodes your self-esteem. At Starthrower, we prefer to give these young people a hand up. A hand up is short term assistance to get someone over an obstacle.
For example, when you need a loan to pay your university fees or when you need an advance on your allowance to buy Christmas presents, you need some short-term help. By next Christmas, you should have earned and set aside some money for presents, so you won't need an advance. And you likely will not be a life-long university student; you'll graduate, get a job, and earn your own way. A hand up at the right time is invaluable and, by definition, a short term commitment.
Some donors offer to collect and send used or new clothing, shoes, etc.
Unless it's an emergency following a devastating natural disaster, sending clothing is also a No Thank You. Why? For starters, it's bad for the recipients' self esteem. Imagine how you would feel (or how you felt) if all your clothes and shoes were hand-me-downs. Then think about how different a feeling it is to go into a shop and choose something brand new, just for you. Think how special you feel when you choose something that YOU like.
And North American-style clothing may not be suitable for those who live elsewhere.
For example, jeans (or any items made from heavy fabric) are too hot to wear in humid tropical climates. You can test this for yourself. During the next heat wave, wear jeans and spend the day outdoors. Jeans take forever to dry, too, especially during the rainy season. And used shoes with deep creases made by someone else's feet will never fit anyone else correctly.
Donated foods can present problems, too, not the least of which is that they are heavy, and so cost a lot to ship. But more importantly, canned goods are high in sodium, and packaged foods have a lot of additives. High fat, high sugar, high sodium foods are not good nutrition by any standards, and are especially bad for people with malnutrition. As well, unfamiliar 'foreign' foods can cause stomach upsets.
Donations in kind (food, clothing etc)
Donations in kind (food, clothing etc) also hurt the local economy. Think about the Haitian (or African, or anyone who's a citizen of a poor country) who is trying to earn a living. They set up a stall to sell clothing, or fabrics, or school supplies, or foodstuffs, or to offer their services as a tailor or furniture maker. That person has had to rent stall space, and purchase or manufacture their stock, or master a trade and buy supplies, then sell their goods or services, and hopefully, make a profit. With the money earned, they can then provide for their own families.
When well-meaning but misguided donors ship goods to poor countries, the people living there have no need to buy those things from their local merchants. For example, when tons of sacks full of grains are shipped to, say, Ethiopia, the local farmers who have worked hard to raise and harvest their crops now have no market for them. With sacks of free grain everywhere, who needs to buy from them? The local farmers have lost their chance to earn their own money. No sales = No income. No income means no food, no home, no school, no doctor etc And the poverty cycle continues.
Even well-intentioned foreign aid can be misguided and ineffective. But what can be far worse is that, by flooding local economies with free goods, foreign aid can do real harm. It's been said, "If foreign aid was the answer, wouldn't it have worked by now?" Sadly, it hasn't. Consider the vast amount of foreign aid to Africa alone: After receiving millions and millions of dollars for many decades, Africa should be a veritable sea of prosperity. But it's not.
Other than at the time of a natural disaster -- when supplies of water, food and medicines are disrupted and people need immediate aid to survive -- the people in these countries ARE clothed, they DO have markets that sell food, and clothing, and school supplies, etc. They DO have clinics and eye doctors. They DO have schools; they don't need anyone to come and build more.
But even though many goods and services are available, these goods and services cost money. And money is what they DON'T have. They don't have money to pay for the things they need.
But they will, when they finish school and go on to university or learn a trade, then get a job, or set up a business at a market stall. Until then, they just need a helping hand to tide them over. And there are so many of them who could use a helping hand.
About Shipping :
Shipping is expensive and it may be months until the goods arrive in Haiti, and it incurs additional costs for import duty, and a vehicle and driver to transport goods from port to home. The money spent on shipping, duty, and transportation costs, etc., is better spent directly helping the people who need it.
We only ship goods to Haiti when the goods and supplies we need are NOT available, or in very short supply, in Haiti. Such goods may include items like solar-powered scientific calculators for the high school students; water purification systems, sunscreen, protein powder, etc. So when we need something specific, we ask for it, and then, your donations to pay for shipping are very, very welcome.
But there's no guarantee that goods shipped to Haiti will arrive intact. Despite the best of intentions, goods shipped to Haiti may go missing along the way. A box of 'hard to get in Haiti' goods (back packs, solar-powered calculators, pens) sent to Starthrower in Cap-Haitien arrived with the box opened, and most of the items missing. We take comfort in knowing that, though we didn't get the supplies our kids needed, unknown others in need will benefit.
January 2008 : Recent article in Miami Today (see article -- A recent change in Haiti's system of collecting customs duties is causing confusion at ports of call, leaving cargo lingering and causing delays in transit — hitting Miami River businesses hard.)discusses continuing shippping to Haiti issues.
These are some of the reasons why we say that the best thing to send to Haiti is money. Money will pay for school tuition and uniforms, exam fees, doctor's fees, and oil, rice and beans for the feeding program and much else. It also supports the local merchants.
Once these students have the opportunity to get an education, they are better qualified to enter the workforce. They can become teachers, nurses, mechanics and business people, etc in their own country. They will be in a position to not only provide for their own families, but also to help their countrymen, their communities. They can take up the torch: Our work at 'helping' them will be done. 'Lifelong foreign aid recipient' should never be anyone's chosen career.
Volumes have been written about international aid, and we don't pretend to cover all aspects of all the issues here. If you're interested in gaining a better understanding of foreign aid issues, do some reading. See recommended books list, including The Lords of Poverty, The Road to Hell, and Mountains Beyond Mountains.
Find more information about social justice issues and some of the things we need.
If you have question about something not covered on the site, please send an email.
If you want to send money to help us help them, you may make an online donation, or contact us for other options.
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