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This Christmas, let’s find better ways of doing good
When donating and serving the less fortunate, we should consider whether we are truly helping or possibly even hurting the very ones we are hoping to uplift.
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Charity sectors are fast maturing to move from quick-fix solutions to sustainable initiatives that enable and empower for the long-term.
ST ILLUSTRATION: MANNY FRANCISCO
Steve Loh
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Filled with a sense of purpose and conviction, I embarked on a career in professional charity work 17 years ago. But as the years went by, serving some of the most impoverished communities in Asia, a sense of unease and discontent had clearly set in.
Part of my job was to facilitate short-term teams of well-meaning Singapore-based volunteers who set out to serve the less fortunate in the region. The well-intentioned individuals would cheerfully hand out aid on our regular trips to villages and slums. They gave sweets to children and food packets to families as well as water filters, medicine, second-hand spectacles, pre-loved clothes and even solar lights.
