DebitNM

http://www.packforapurpose.org/

"You can make a big impact on the lives of children around the world

Use available space in your luggage to provide supplies to communities you visit. For 5 pounds (2.27 kilos), you can bring one of the following:

400 pencils
5 deflated soccer balls with an inflation device
A stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff and 500 band-aids"

We will be doing this next month as we head to Africa. Consider doing so, too.

christabir

I wouldn't call that a big impact.

I use my entire luggage (4 bags/boxes, 50 lbs each for two) allowance for books for a local school that one of our favorite safari camps supports. We just take carry on. If my checked books get lost, the airline will forward it to camp when they find it. We tip the local staff very generously and buy locally made crafts or other products. We use camps that are community owned and have quotas for local hires. We shop at their stores, eat in their restaurants. When possible we drive instead of fly so we support more locals. Flyovers don't do much good. When we did a conservation project, we arranged to have the local tribe elders join us. They'd never been on the land and didn't understand at all how nuts those of us who don't regularly see an elephant or giraffe can be. They are now having discussions about opening a safari lodge! It's incredible and totally unexpected.

I am currently having a discussion on Facebook with a human rights activist about the outrage about Cecil. He thinks our outrage over Cecil's death is misplaced and we should be angry about children dying. I think (I know) we can do both. He doesn't understand how much money living animals can bring to communities - mostly because they currently don't. Few locals have any financial gain with the money we spend to photograph the wildlife and spend a few nights in the bush. We need to change the way we spend our travel dollars so the local community gains from animals being alive instead of dead. Unfortunately, poaching brings in money to the locals. Photography does not.

What I do isn't enough, not even close. We can all do more. Please make it more than a few pencils.

Have a great time!

Bokhara2

Good for you, Christabir. What you're doing is commendable.

Less commendable, IMVHO, is slapping down someone else's good suggestion.

The idea DebitNM passed along can easily be achieved by the majority of people travelling to needy areas, irrespective of their personal luggage needs.

Yes, it is good to spend locally, but sometimes people are not transitting or have sufficient time in areas where these small items can be obtained. Sometimes they are simply not available enroute or at the destination.

DebitNM

I was just passing along a good idea. Not everyone one can bring an entire suitcase full of supplies, books etc. but almost everyone can give up 5 lbs in their suitcase to bring the things mentioned on the website.

I don't consider 400 pencils to be a few pencils but I understand the need to help others less fortunate than ourselves, especially when we are spending so many $$$ on a leisure trip.

My point was simply that while this won't end the bad conditions in Africa [or any of the other countries where this program is found] it does raise awareness and offers "regular folks" an easy way to make a difference, even if it is a small drop in the ocean.

The thing about Zimbabwe and Cecil and the human population; well, that's a different thread. I am a huge animal rights person and well as someone who care about human welfare too. I agree that one doesn't have to choose sides and that they are mutually exclusive.


I didn't mean for this to be political. Anyone who knows me here on Fodors knows that I don't do political here.

DebitNM

"that they are mutually exclusive.

should be:

that they are NOT mutually exclusive.

amyb

I've been surprised by how hostile the reactions have been over Cecil's death. I have pro-life friends telling me I should be outraged over the thousands of aborted fetuses, and then I'm supposed to be outraged over kids not having school supplies. It's almost as if people think we can't multitask when it comes to wanting to do something about what's going on.

The approach I'm taking is that all this media attention on Cecil is getting conversations started, it is opening eyes and hopefully inspiring people to think about doing something for Africa or wildlife or research or anti-poaching efforts. If you're moved to act, ACT. Do what makes you feel good, but do SOMETHING. Make a difference. Personally I choose to foster elephants at the Daphne Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (www.dswt.org), but there are other organizations equally as worthy. If sending school supplies is what you can and want to do, do it. It's better than sitting on your hands on the sofa and not making a wit of difference.

But no one should be belittled for what someone else thinks isn't "big impact". I don't know a single charity in the world that wouldn't take $5 from a donor because it's not a big enough impact. If everyone gave just $5.....

Percy

I did this on my 3 week trip to Africa and visited several school to hand out the supplies personally.

It was like Chrismas for them

Just to see those big brown wide eyed children was priceless.

Thanks for letting others know DebitNM

christabir

I was insulted by the lecturing tone by the OP, like she's the first person to post anything about being charitable. And I stand by the fact that it's not a big impact. We all spend a lot of money just getting to the continent and many spend $1000 per person per night or more. Lecturing me over 5 lbs in my suitcase is just silly.

DebitNM

I appreciate all the good information and time you share on this board, christabir.

That said, I had no intent of lecturing; rather I thought this a great idea and worth sharing and if anyone should be insulted , it should have been me by <i>your</i> denigrating rely.

You know nothing of me and my efforts in helping others....

amyb

So by your own admission, your 100 pounds of checked luggage then meets the threshold for what is considered "big impact" christabir? When thousands of kids need school supplies, food, vaccines? When all those rhinos and elephants are in danger of poaching? 100 pounds is officially what it takes to make a big impact? Not 5, not 15, not 55? Come on now.

What is important is that people are charitable and give. <b>It doesn't matter how much.</b> If more people gave what they can, a lot of these issues would be addressed.

lincasanova

.."I was insulted by the lecturing tone by the OP, like she's the first person to post anything about being charitable..."

I never saw the insult, but comments like these are why our society and human race is where it is. many people like to "read" a condescending,r arrogant, irritable, sarcastic or even joyful TONE into the written word or text.. leading to misinterpretations like this one.(IMO)

yea.. you donate BIG TIME. BRAVO and thank you.

I would have hoped you would have realized this post was never meant to OFFEND the sensitive, more generous philanthropist like yourself, but encourage thousands of readers who may never have thought about it and show them how easy it would be.

lincasanova

Why are the people frequenting this website so nasty sometimes? I just can't get my head around some of the things that transpire here.

olesouthernbelle

I agree with lincasanova. I wish my professors in college considered 4 sentences a lecture - I'd could have completed my degree in a much shorter amount of time.

I don't know why we have to bicker over who is greater than the other here. Even condemning the person on the sofa - I do get it but you do not know what their contribution or circumstances are either. We all just need to get over ourselves.

welltraveledbrit

If there's one thing we've learnt from crowd sourcing it's that the way to make the biggest impact is the encourage the largest number of people to get involved. Social media has demonstrated how quickly large amounts of money can be raised from high number of small contributions. Practically every culture has a aphorisms stating that "many hands make light work".

In Judaism charity is linked to justice and interestingly one of the highest forms of giving is to give anonymously. We could all learn a lot form the Twelfth century scholar Maimonides who outlined 8 levels of giving - it's fascinating stuff and all still relevant and we can see from this thread.
http://www.chabad.org/library/articl...-of-Giving.htm

I think the tone went south somewhere, good intentions can sometimes get a bit strident. But homely we can probably all agree with the sentiment " We can all do more".

ShayTay

A lot of camps and NGOs participate in Pack With A Purpose. Go for it! Even small things can make a big difference. I left a headlamp at a camp that a local medic really needed to use to help local people after dark.

Bokhara2

Woolworths & Henry Ford seem to have done quite well from the high volume & low unit cost idea. As others have said, myriad crowd-funders have found how well it can work too - so why would the same principle not apply here?

I'm struggling to extract an insult from the first post on this thread, but have no trouble finding one in yours,
Christabir.

For heavens' sake, let's not turn a good idea into a p'ing contest!

DebitNM

I got this reply on Facebook this morning from the lodge we will be staying next month when I asked if they knew of the program:

<i>Arathusa Safari Lodge: Hi Deb. Thank you for the heads-up. We have initiated communications, and will hopefully have a partnership set up by the time you travel!</i>

I am thrilled that I was able to make them aware of the program and even more so to know that I will be able to bring supplies.

NoFlyZone

Any charitable contribution, regardless of size, is a BIG impact. Especially to those who benefit.

One candle... A thousand points of light...