Greatest Irony of Giving

You all watched Slumdog Millionaire. The greatest irony to giving out $ to beggars is that only when you stop giving, then the kids can start living their childhood. We are doing more harm than good by giving them petty change. So when you next visit impoverished cities or countries, remember to control your charity guilt; you might be doing more harm than good.

Little girl rented out by parents for under S$1000 forced to eat faeces and beg.

Giving back

Saw a SPC petrol station with a manual car wash facility operated by MINDS,along Telok Blangah Road down from Alexandra towards Vivocity. A big poster says washed by bubbly folks, what a heartwarming catchphrase. Love the SPC gesture to get MINDS folks to contribute to the workforce. Will find a day to try it out!

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What would you do?

Shared by Precious on Facebook. I think everyone should be more sensitive and caring. I know how apathetic we have become as people living in this age where everyone has to be more productive, more hardworking, more stressed out...but never is there an excuse to be an asshole towards other human beings (unless they really are assholes - I wouldn't feel guilty standing up or beating someone mistreating others who can't stand for themselves).

Giving and power of masses

In light of the X'mas spirit, here is another example of giving.
Source: CNN. The power of just $10-20 by an individual goes a long way when the masses come together. The website in focus by the article is http://www.modestneeds.org/ .

Last night, I couldn't get seats to watch Avatar again, this time in 3D. So I caught my fav actor Donnie Yen's new show called Bodyguards and Assassins. This is a Sun Yat Sen historically-linked movie which showcase the fight for democracy in the face of dictatorship rule of the Qing monarchy. More importantly it took 10 years and 16 Asian stars to make this movie.Jacky Cheung had a small part from the start, and with no spoilers intended, his one phrase which was a quote from Abraham Lincoln meant for true democracy and in hope for the 400 million Chinese people, made an impact to me.

"...that government of the people, by the people, for the people..."

The movie's underlying intentions showed that the sacrifices of individuals made, their combined effort, can save millions more and for future generations. This altruism act is what's missing from our society these days. Everyone from bankers to politicians, are all about themselves and they want it now.

Help the migrant workers

If you guys have time and would like to do something for these foreign workers who helped us to reach our current developed status but some selected greedy /unkind Singaporeans have so far lack the morals and mercies to treat them like human - please help out. Trinity Soup Kitchen which was started by a group of kind people since last year which was only recently highlighted by the newspapers.

You can help either physically or financially or in kinds..do click on the website for more info - http://trinitysoupkitchen.wordpress.com/

We can only hope

Charmaine's little angels have managed to raise half a million dollars and are embarking onto their journey to fight the cancer. Let's all keep them in our prayers...

Please help Charmaine

Lately my life has been packed with personal activities, weekend after weekends. It has been tiring but somehow not very fulfilling except losing weight. Not sure if many of you out there feels the same. After reading an news article over the weekend about a Mr. Wong and his wife helping out foreign workers in Singapore who have been marginalized and they offer free food in Boon Lay to help these workers. These occasional articles by ST's journalists, I feel are good things mainstream media has done to a better effect then new media which quite often do not bring about as much help. Anyway I would like to help both financially and physically as it brings me back to 7-8 years ago when quite often with my girlfriend then, we would visit children's home with sweets and toys and help out. Then later on with my very busy work life, I would occasionally join church groups to visit old folks' home which has like the children's home brought a certain sadness to mind. But all have faltered as life just took on a different perspective and I get too often caught up with myself. And helping out in anyway we can, really puts fulfillment and a whole lot of soul back into your life. So I do hope you join me as helping out with these foreign workers will be a good start to my often words of engagement. I hope I finally do more than talking/writing about it. Would blog about it once Mr. Wong contacts me back on how to help and appreciate if more people can come forward to aid people in such crisis times. I believe Singaporeans being very charitable people, Mr. Wong's mobile has been ringing constantly with offers to help.


But this issue which I would like to bring up has caught my attention as it is far more serious and needs immediate attention. It just came into my attention from friends on my Facebook and Mr.Brown. I appreciate readers of my blog to head to this website - ourfeistyprincess.com for more information and how we can all help little Charmaine who has unfortunately caught a rare form of cancer and is currently undergoing Chemotheraphy and mom's friends are trying very hard to raise funds to increase her chance of survival from 10% to 40-50% with a new drug, but it's only approved in NY and needs a US$350,000 (S$500k) deposit to start treatment. Charmaine comes from a single parent family with Mom quitting her job to take care of her full time. None of the money raised so far has been used but purely for the NY treatment.



Charmaine has a blog with updates and quite often we have scams floating around us, but I have vetted this to be true, with numerous newspaper articles as well. Do help out in anyway you can from Charmaine's blog links on the right hand side titled "MEDIA AND FUNDRAISING".

Video by Oli Pettigrew to raise funds.

And we pay you for?

Shared this link with my buddies.

One of the notable response to the article "PM Lee urges citizens to do their best to get through downturn together":

"i tot we paid him 3.5mio so that HE will do his f$%king best and we no need to do squat?"

PM Lee was speaking at a community event at Jalan Kayu on Sunday, where he launched a S$45,000 programme to help needy families.

For me I just thought, doesn't he feel embarrassed? He is paid almost 300k/mth and $45k is 1/77 of his pay..he just needs to speak for 45mins and he can launch another programme to aid another bunch of needy families.

Engagement

Sometimes I get obstinate and insist on my point of views. My hope is just to engage my friends. I may sometimes get anal about things because seriously I do not see a crime highlighting the fact that the poor and the unjustified do not have a voice in Sillypore or many other parts of the world.

Similarly to performing charity acts by donating to the poor begging on the roadside only to find out they are on social visit passes living in hotels, dressing well and perhaps wearing gold wrist watches. To turn sympathy into money-making schemes is not just wrong, it should be a crime. True that no one can stop a healthy man who decided to shave his head and don a robe, canvassing little strings or amulets for money. But in some sense it stopped me from donating after learning the truth.

I used to donate to flag days of all sorts, even performed quite a handful. I fervently donated to TT Durai's KNF golden taps, Rev. Monk-stunt-man wannabe of Ren Chi's assistant's shopping etc...
It's just sad knowing that we were all taken for fools. But in some sense there is no lives loss, or anyone hurt in that process of charity except stupid fund-raising stunt shows which only Mediacorp artistes were injured.



Turning back to the scenes of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire", not sure if you remembered the storyline, I hope that many did not just enjoy the cinematography and love story. The fact that many have thrown criticisms of the stark reality that the child stars are still living in the slums as the movie enjoys its resounding success. In the movie, we witness kids being taken off the streets and maimed or blinded in order to earn more from begging. I saw the reality of it when I was a kid traveling to Bangkok back in the 80s and my parents told me of what they do to those kids we see begging on the streets, my parents made me throw in some coins into their milk tins, perhaps in some ways to learn that I should give when I am able. But I swore never to donate ever again whenever I go to Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines etc. The need for knowledge in this sense is not just for your conscience's sake but for the little kid's sake. Yes, many have rebutted in my face saying it is just loose change, but the kidnappings, unjust deliberate mutilation is the result of the sympathy. In this context, when the giving stops, it stops. The kidnappers will realise it is no longer a lucrative act.

Thus I choose to continue pissing off my friends in order for engagement, if it is what it takes to get one to start thinking. What's most important is that the final goal is achieved.

Why sometimes I don't donate to worthy causes

Seriously, UN needs to take over this situation. It's like genocide from refusal of aids. Can't the world do something besides sitting and watch them die?

UN: Myanmar forcing storm victims from camps

US sharply skeptical of Myanmar constitution

As quoted from Yahoo News:
Myanmar's ruling junta lashed out at foreign aid donors Friday, saying cyclone victims did not need supplies of "chocolate bars" and could instead survive by eating frogs and fish.

Read the truth here before you decide where to put your $ (on building smooth roads leading to the junta's mansion perhaps).