I have had my fair share of giving and receiving donations, as well as volunteering for charity work to help others in need.
As you know, my country, the Philippines, is prone to natural calamities, including typhoons and earthquakes. So the concept of "bayanihan" (a spirit of unity and cooperation among Filipinos) isn't new to us.
Of course, there are huge organizations, the government, and the private sector that try to handle this charity work, but to be honest, I'm not very confident about them. Let me share an example that happened way back in 2013.
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My friends and I volunteered to repack relief goods for the victims of the Supertyphoon Yolanda. We just graduated from university, and it was our first year of employment. We don't have much to give, so instead we donated our time and effort. The amount of donations was truly overwhelming!
However, there were speculations at that time. It was alleged that some local governments hoarded relief goods, especially rice. In addition, some of them were even spoiled, which was a total waste. People's greed didn't only make victims hungry, but also wasted food. It was truly upsetting.
Since then, my family and I have decided to donate to those affected directly. For instance, in January 2020, a large fire destroyed many houses in an area of Cebu, and among the victims was my Damy (daddy mommy) and his neighbors.
We met my Damy at the school where he teaches, then went to the area that was affected by the fire. We gave them some clothes, food, and a bit of money. We don't have much, but what we give is from the heart.
Also, during the pandemic, most classes were either canceled or made modular. Teachers would print the lessons and class activities for students to complete at home. One of my friends, who was a public school teacher at that time, reached out to me asking for donations. Her school hasn't received any funds for the modular lessons yet, so they're covering the costs from their own pocket and donations. I told my parents about it, and they also willingly donated with me.
So yeah, my family still donates, but not through large organizations, mostly through people we know who are hosting a volunteer group for a certain cause. This way, we're sure that what we gave wasn't wasted.
Now, let me share our experience of receiving donations. Well, it really depends on the government officials. hahaha
During the coronavirus pandemic, it was quite smooth sailing. The government easily gave everyone a food package, especially rice... without any questions.
However, during this recent typhoon, in which my family and I were forced to evacuate and lost almost everything, they questioned and requested a lot from the victims. For example, you have to list your name and personally go to the government office for aid.
Everyone is entitled to food packages, but financial assistance is only available to selected people. They have to queue in the rain or the sun to get help. And if your house isn't totally washed out, you're not entitled to any cash assistance. I find this difficult to comprehend because everyone is suffering.
One time, I was buying some cooking supplies when I got to talking with another flood victim. She asked me if we received any assistance. I told her that we only got help from family and friends, and that I don't really rely on the government. She agreed.
She lived near the river, and her house was washed out. She still hasn't received anything from the government, but she told me that many vloggers went to her area and donated.
This talk made me think about how private individuals are much faster at helping others. Of course, some may have done it for the views, but at the end of the day, they have helped many families.
We received our food package from the government, likely around three days ago, along with food donations from a group of teachers who chose our area. My father goes there from time to time to check what we can still use from the house, but it's still very muddy, and the series of rainy days isn't helpful at all.
Almost all the donations we received, whether in kind or in cash, were from our family and friends. It's overwhelming, and we're genuinely grateful for them. I even got some donations and help here on HIVE... and I really appreciate them for doing so. They didn't have to, but it's a testament to how much of a community HIVE is.
We're still struggling, and it won't be easy bouncing back, but I'm seeing hope. After I recover from my asthma, I'll be able to work again because my bestie and her hubby gifted me a laptop to start anew.
There might be many greedy people out there, but the world isn't short of kind and generous people. I can attest to that!
I'll end this post here. Thanks for reading, and see you around! (^^,)/
There are bad people but there are also good ones just that the bad ones have covered the good ones.
Exactly! Because of some previous experiences people tend to generalize others.