MQE went to the store on Friday and purchased 7 cans of Spam, 7 cans of beans, 7 cans of fish and two bags of corn. This totaled USD$55.00. He then proceeded to take this to the post office and asked them to tell him how much it would cost to send this to J in Malawi, and to make sure that he received it (requiring registered mail--certainly shipping protein-laden food to a famine-stricken country is not going to guarantee that the shipment will ever reach the intended recipient, correct?). The total came to just under USD$800.00!!! 800 f*&^%$#@!g dollars, excuse my expletives. Just to ship that amount of food without a registered receipt would come to USD$300.00.
For perspective's sake, keep in mind that the average yearly salary in Malawi is USD$200.00.
It is thus a better-spent penny if we simply wire him money each week for, yes, bags of maize instead of trying to send him food that could help him, his family and perhaps his neighbors more.
This, again, has me sick. Why does it need to be so damned difficult to feed somebody who is hungry? Why does The System have to make it so difficult for us to help somebody we want to help without paying off a charity organization's overhead and without guarantee that our personal friend will ever experience any benefit?
My heart hurts and my head aches.
Suscribirse a:
Enviar comentarios (Atom)
Makes one feel quite helpless. A horrifying story - the little person just hasn't a show in this world against the big corporates. At least you are doing what you can, and trying ... more than most of the rest of us for sure. I can't believe it would cost $800 dollars - it's totally obscene.
ResponderEliminarAmazing. So not right.
ResponderEliminar