Donate money to charity - 2 motivating factors
Awareness can be the strongest motivator to help others and change the world. The simplest and most sustainable way is to donate money to charity.
There are many good reasons to donate money to charity. Altruism and a basic moral obligation to help others are strong motivators. But despite the obvious need, individual charitable giving has decreased often due to personal economic factors. Wider economic factors and global crises, however, will always create a need for charitable giving.
According to the World Bank, ‘more than half of the extreme poor live in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, the number of poor in the region increased by 9 million, with 413 million people living on less than US$1.90 a day in 2015, more than all the other regions combined. If the trend continues, by 2030, nearly 9 out of 10 extreme poor will be in Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of these are uneducated and under 18 years of age.’
If you are reading this on your mobile phone or laptop, then you will be acutely aware of your position of privilege, and the above statistics may seem foreign to you. But awareness can be the strongest motivator for helping others and changing the world, and the simplest and most sustainable way is to donate money to charity.
I would like to help
It is a big, big world:
It is easy to become parochial in our mindsets. The above World Bank statistics can seem so daunting that our thinking defaults to believing the task is so huge that there is nothing we can do to help. There is an unfortunate sense of disconnect, which often results in apathy. While parts of the world face staggering and devastating challenges, it is far too easy to switch channels on our remotes.
That is the exact reason why global charity organizations like UNICEF exist - to be the go-between and a universal ‘magic wand of change’ across the world. For 24 years UNICEF has been a driving force behind the vision of creating a world fit for all children.
By donating money to charity, your small, seemingly insignificant contribution suddenly becomes instrumental in a world that you or I would not normally have access to. Your money can go where you cannot - thanks to charity organizations with tried and tested resources and a history of making a difference in this big, big world.
It is a small, small world:
Living in Sub-Saharan Africa means there is no shortage of ‘war stories,’ and the devastating impact of poverty is on the news 24/7. This is the world we live in, these are the communities we drive past on our way to work every day, these are the hopeless faces we see at every intersection, and these are our neighbours at every turn. One of the biggest solutions to changing these scenarios is to donate money to charity.
Charities like UNICEF South Africa exist for this very purpose. From a pragmatic perspective, a once-off donation of R10 at the traffic lights, or the pennies tossed in the checkout tin are all good, but they are unlikely to result in sustainable on-the-ground change.
The beauty of partnering with a local charity organization, which has a strong global presence, translates into the actual transforming of communities and individuals through advocacy, policy change, education, nutrition, healthcare and wise use of financial resources, amongst others. When you donate money to a charity, your contribution starts to pave the way to change the small, small world around you.
I would like give hope
The lyrics of this Disney song sum up why charity organizations exist and the motivation for why we should partner with them and donate:
‘It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes, and a world of fears
There's so much that we share, that it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all
There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to ev'ryone
Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all.’
The wonderful, wonderful world of UNICEF South Africa
The work to end extreme poverty is far from over, and many challenges remain. But for the last 26 years, UNICEF South Africa has been improving and saving children’s lives - protecting their rights and helping them fulfil their potential. By donating money to charity, you become a stepping stone to paving the way for this to continue.
There is much to be done. The big world world we live in is actually a small global village. Each of us has the opportunity and the means to make a difference and bring hope to the vulnerable on our doorstep and further afield.
I would like to donate to UNICEF South Africa
For further motivation, please read Why UNICEF is One of the Best Charities in South Africa and 3 Reasons you should care about Children’s Charities.
