Every one who contributed by donating objects: thank you! A dental chair, asthma inhalers, and boxes full of toy cars, from stethoscopes to bouncing balls. Giving is something beautiful. Giving without expecting something in return, whether big or small. It gives people value, to know that someone cares about you.
We were able to hand out toy cars on a national day for people with albinism;children who are often forgotten and despised. A soft toy for a child covered in burns. The incontinence material that was squeezed into the last holes in the container proved a welcome gift for some of my colleagues at the clinic with a bedridden relative. Yes a birthday present for Maria and a big box of clothes that came in the mail can go under this heading. They are valuable things, difficult to express in currency. And our gratitude; difficult to express in words.
There are many jokes and myths when it comes to donating to Africa. When throwing food away or when buying something that you don’t really need; a moralizing comment might follow. “Think about the children in Africa”. It is now known that randomly donating money or belongings often doesn’t reach its purpose. Expired medicine, opened bottles, glasses of unknown strength, etc. Africa should not be the drain of the West. Consultation with the recipient is therefore a necessity. I do however want to challenge you to keep your hope up: Give from your heart and do think about what these children in Africa really need (and here are some pictures to encourage you).
