The Creative Philanthropies

Owh! I'm mentally tired digesting the abundant of news regarding the recent Tsunami. But I live for the days I hear these things:

Did you guys read about 'Waves of Mercy'? It's interesting to see some of the Malaysian Sikh Association members representing the minorities taking part in the search and rescue mission. There are Canadians, Singaporeans and Americans in their yacht too, utter riot eh! Boy, I want to join them! Here's what/whom they have gathered:

1. 50 volunteers inc: doctors, medical asst and support staff.
2. Usage of yacht and fuel were donated. The generous person's name not mentioned though. Stupid! 20 journalists wrote about this and no one asked for it.
3. Cooks that can cook for up to 5,000 people!
4. 5,000 body bags
5. 300 multipurpose stretchers donated by the police force.
6. Clothes, food, bottled drinks.

Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhari and his creative planning again. The foundations he set up is now looking at a possibility to take 300 children in Acheh made orphans by the recent Tsunami. He has a complex in Alor Setar which is equipped with a mosque, hostels, old folks' academy, school and multi purpose hall. For this purpose, it will have a trauma centre too! The children will be placed there for just 3 to 4 months though.

*****

Now, from the comfort of our home where we just had our tasty plate of fried fish; let's ponder at our fishermen who lost their fishing boats and belongings. We all knew that these people just cannot get rich generations after generations, it's not that they like being poor, they just like what they do I reckon.

Maybe just a handful like the Trengganunese who ventured into Keropok Lekor side business gets to be millionaires. Yet that took them 10 years (since 1991), and only 30 families are able to make it.

I remember the Nobel Prize Laureatte winner Wangari Maathai's saying "Every poor woman ends up with only poor man".

Let's not allow these people get into an oppressed situation. Yes, they received RM3000 each for the damages they suffer. Most of them owed RM20,000 to the bank to buy fishing equipment and now offered to get a no interest loan again. It's so sad and even more sad for their wives who has to give them and their children all the emotional support.
******

It's nice what Sandra Bullock did. But Angelina Jolie is even better, during the Afghan war in the past, instead of just handing the cheque, she flew into Afghanistan on the UN jetplane to give a helping hand to the refugees. That's enough to stimulate the famine and wounded Afghans' senses instead of just watching her in Tomb Raider right?

Isn't by doing all the above worth more than just passing the cheques and get your pictures snapped for the press in your nice outfits? This goes out to those who can afford 5 figures donations and above.