Bang Bang You're Food Aided

No. But they do make me check carefully into the organization that I'm giving to...

Hi p1key, i am so sick of it, year in year out chariteies wants you to pay up for this, that and the other, but what I can see people from the poor countries are still poor nothing really has been done woth all the callled money the people paid out, I know that most of the money is going into the goverment pockets, so I have stopped giving, I give donations to Dog Trust and the Cats' sheleter where I got my Tom from, sorry I don't want to sound hard but I don't trust any goverments, also I contributed to Band Aid at he time, I was working in London and I paid out £50, I was swept along with the whole thing and watched it all on TV, I do regret that now, we didn't know better, no wonder Bob Geldof was so angry. Hugs. Tamara xxxx

Yes, stories like that have changed my giving significantly. I live in America but we have people starving on the streets, homeless and broke. They have children with them. Children in one mountainous area live in shacks and wear rags, often foraging for food in the woods with their parents. When my country has people in such need, I can't justify giving 95% of my charitable dollar to warlords that continue to oppress and starve their own people. For the past few years I have kept my charitable dollars right here at home. Not only that, no more than 10% of my dollar can go to administrative fees. There aren't many charities that meet my standards but I have four that I give to regularly. Once my own country is free of hunger and misery I'll be glad to reach out to other nations but until then my money stays here.

I really admired those musicians and celebrities that banded together to help raised some funds to help other nation especially those who are starving. What i don't get is that why most of the funds were used for arms. And only 5% went to the people for foods. This is so ironic...how could this happened. Why the funds was used for arms. It's very sad that things like this do happened. Foods and medicine is much better than arms. Hunger is already a big problem and arms should never come in to the picture at all. It just make things worst.

It's very sad if they do, but I do wonder about it. I do agree that £5m is better than nothing, though. I have favourite charities that I give to regularly and I hope my cash finds its way to the best use.

People complain about charities that spend money on "administration" but often this is because they are making sure the money gets to those who need it rather than being syphoned off by whichever government and corrupt officials and crimelords. Without the administrators all you get is poor people from rich countries giving to rich people in poor countries...

yes. In my opinion, 95% should go to what you were informed of. 5% to admin and everything else. Charities get stupid with our money. I check charities very closely before I give. I would rather hand deliver it.

yes, I was told at one time, giving to things like Fed the Children, only bout 10 centsout of the dollar gets to the kids. So tell me where does the rest go.I know it takes money to fly food to these places, but we buying the food, you would think someone would be willing to fly it over there, or they would have by now bought their own plane. I believe most goes into the pockets of the people running these programs, Same thing with any donations you make for any disaster, or to feed some kids. I don't mind giving, but I do mind paying for that big house you living in. So If a dime is all that is used for these programs then a dime is all I'm giving from now on.And with all the billions tht is sent over to these countries, can you tell me why the only food you see them eating is soemthing looks like rice or whatever that is they eating out of a bowl with their hands. Not a slice of bread, just some thing in a bowl and no spoons. Maybe take some of that left over 90% and buy something for them to really eat.

Hi p1ke, I did see that on the news and was absolutely disgusted, the money that was raised was meant for the people in Ethiopia to feed them, give medical aid and so on..arms should never of come into it-or if so not even a third should of been taken for that purpose. It annoys me terribly that giving to charity's wether for Africa, Chidren in Need etc the money never goes on what we are donating it for-the people-my take on it is I only give to worthwhile causes eg RSPB, PDSA and just hope that the donation goes to help the animals and birds. Charity begins at home..hugs LoLo

Hey p1key! I do remember "Band Aid" and the stories about what actually did happen to the money that was supposed to go to the people in Ethiopia! I was always hoping that it wasn't true! If it is true, the it is disgusting and I am ashamed to be a party to it! It was supposed to be such a beautiful event to raise money for those poor starving people and to think that all they got out of it was 5%! And the rest went to arms that I am so vehemently against! I just don't even know what to say! The US Government is very sneaky and they at times do make sick and ashamed to be a apart of this country! I'm so sorry!

The story may be true or may be false. But it is the reality that the world leaders always say about the starving people of the world. But it is only their words. They do little for these unfortunate people. They are more interested in producing or collecting arms. We see many banners for love for animals. But who cares for these unfortunate people.

I am always sceptical that these charities are actually passing on the benefits to the people in need. Even if they are receiving the food, what happens when the aid stops? Are they going to be prosperous? Are they going to be able to lead a comfortable life? I think not! There is currently a movement out there which are training people and encouraging them to go into these troubled regions and show these people how to feed themselves through permaculture principles. They are getting them set up with organic sustainable gardens and training the people in these poor countries to teach others to do the same. How does the saying go? "If you give the man a fish, you will feed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish, then you will feed him for a lifetime!" They are turning dry barren lifeless soil into soil that is filled with life and energy that can feed these people. They are teaching them that their farming practices have destroyed the soil and showing them a better way. Check out the great work that this guy is doing in Uganda. They have been aid dependant there for 40 years! http://permaculture.org.au/2010/02/15/steve-cran-in-uganda-part-i-iii/

I don't support any charities that go overseas. Most are scams like the 9-11 tower destruction. Many got scammed by copyright infringements that everyone was in on, with "T" shirts,bumper stickers,key-chains, in which the money was supposed to go to the victims families and to this day no body knows where the money went, certainly not the true families, but even people who were not even there collected on benefits. The government should have payed all the families for neglect of duties to protect the people of this fine country. But you know how the government is, when they are the ones that were behind that disaster, that's why there were no defence jets even ordered out. They knew full well what was transpiring, just like the military assassins that are in our military ready to kill their own. Do you actually think that someone that is from the very country we are fighting. Do you think they joined to help fight their relatives? I don't think so. Even on EBay there are thousands of scammers taking money illegally, like from Nigeria and passing it to the Islamists that are using our own money to kill all over the world. I don't buy or sell on eBay or even deal with Pay-pal either, because they are overseas now and are racking up the money from scamming the customers along with the scammers. I am warning everyone to stay away from these two ponzi schemes. I was a seller, but not anymore since they scammed me several times, and let Nigerians scam us without stopping them.

Things really don't change very much. In the 1970's there were often adverts or news clips with the exact same looking suffering going on. While band aid was a very good cause ,it was nothing new to most people that this poverty and famine was happening. Remember the comments about children starving in Africa if you told you mother you didn't want your vegetables? I was surprised that the pop stars who went and 'discovered' the situation were so ill informed. I watched a documentary about a year ago in which a charity was supplying water to a village. They provided them with the building materials and gave them the instructions in how to make the well and the villagers had to make it themselves because the charity had discovered that if you make the well and then say it is theirs, they will use it till it goes wrong and abandon it waiting for the charity to come back and fix it . It is the same with food. They are better off being given tools and seed and then shown not only how to farm but also how to replace and mend the tools and harvest and keep back seed. You really have to think hard about who you donate to these days.

It is a shame that with all the money that was given to them that only 5 million of it was actually spent on the food for the children. If anything it should of been only 5% of it spent on arms and the rest on the needs of the children and their families. I see those commercials and shows and I want to cry sometimes I do. I know there are kids right here in the United States that need it as well. I don't really give to things like that unless it is to help people in our local area. Every little bit helps even though I know the few dollars we do give isn't much but combined hopefully enough to help families who need it out.

Well, it does give one pause, doesn't it?

hi p ikefish where have you been , I never see any discussions from you, I do miss my old friends. yes thinking about how we give to help the starving and then the money goes to arms , thats plain wrong and so horrible. I just hope that five million was spent on food. I have so little left after Gold Crest takes out rent and board each month from myh Social Security and SSI checks, so I take a little and send it to the Veterans of Foreign wars here in the US as I know they get all of what is given.Hope you start more discussions soon. missed you. Good luck and God bless.