I don’t know about you, but charitable giving stresses me out.
I want to be a generous person. I know that I am extremely fortunate and that I have much to give. But when it comes to deciding HOW to give, I often become immobilized. There are many great charities out there doing amazing deeds. How should I choose? I feel compassion for those in impoverished areas, those who are unable to receive education, those in countries that have no access to clean water. I am pulled toward children, widows, refugees, and the homeless. Should I feed? Clothe? Educate? How do I know that the charity I choose will actually make a dent in a community’s well of need? How do I really know where my money goes? Is my charitable giving really helping anyone when it comes down to it? Where is the evidence? Immobilized by the choices, I often do nothing. It is a giver’s paradox.
I was to be generous, but I also want to be smart.
I want to see that my giving makes a difference.
At Together East Africa, we help the people we know in East Africa to achieve tangible, measurable goals as they do good works in their own communities. Through our partnership, we can help put out the “fires” that come with everyday survival, but we also strive to help these local heroes to build self-sustaining systems in their communities that will allow them to support themselves for years to come. We believe in vocational training, education, and safe housing as a means to improving lives for future generations. And we only partner with people we know and trust.
We have no middlemen, no employees, and no glossy mailers that cost a fortune. Every penny we collect makes a difference.
And best of all, we get to celebrate success through visits to the country, photo documentation, and first-hand stories. We get to see the difference that we make – and pass that on to you so that can celebrate together.
It is such a joy to see orphans smiling as they hold a bag of rice or a widow dancing because of her new cardigan. We can smile knowing that we did that. We made a difference in the world. That is pure joy. No paradox.
