Christmas in the Third World

Ho, ho, ho!

Merry Christmas from a land where it doesn’t snow, where there are no pine trees, where reindeer would crash through the straw roof and into the cooking fire below, and where Santa Claus would sweat off those extra 50 lbs. in his belly in no time. Not surprisingly, they don’t really celebrate Christmas here. The birth of Christ is not a big event in Buddhism.

If you’re in a giving mood (and I know you are), the first thing you should do is send me a present. I’ve been mostly bad, but in a good way. Hehe.

After this most important act, consider a small donation to an international charity.

Millions and millions of people around the globe earn less than $1 a day. If you’ll recall from a previous post, even an educated elementary school teacher in Cambodia only makes $20 a month.

In countries where there is war, oppression or simply even very bad weather, hundreds of thousands are sick or starving. Men, women and children. We’ve all heard it on the news, seen the images. But these are not abstract concepts. They’re real people, real children.

It is not up to governments to solve this. Governments are political and bureaucratic. Government aid (usually too late) most often goes to the governments of the countries where there are problems, and more often than not those governments are the problem, not the solution. I’ve seen places where government food aid went right to the military, instead of to the people for whom it was intended.

If you want to help, give to a charity that gives directly to the people. One that bypasses governments, bypasses bureaucrats, and simply goes out and helps those directly in need.

My favorite charity is Catholic Relief Services. They work directly on the ground, behind the scenes, and get things done. They don’t go around from disaster area to disaster area in convoys of brand-new $50,000 white SUVs like the UN and many other well-known relief organizations do (an arrogant and senseless waste of money that never ceases to amaze me). Instead, they just go and feed people and provide medical care.

If you want to make a donation, you can do so here. Even a small amount will make a difference.

Or give to the international relief charity of your choice.

We are incredibly fortunate to have the wealth and prosperity that we do, and Christmas Day is a perfect opportunity to reach out and help those in need.

Merry Christmas!