SESSION 2:HOW DO CHARITIES HELP LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES?

• understand what an act of charity is
• identify the cause that charities work for
• know what charity workers and volunteers are
• give examples of some charity organisations
• find information on the web about the present campaigns of some charities

At some time or other we have helped somebody who is in need.  We may have spent some time with a friend who needed a shoulder to cry on, gone shopping for an elderly neighbour, or given money to a hopeless person in the street. These are all acts of charity.

We do not, however, hear a lot about the everyday work of charities and those who benefit. Once the emergency is over and no longer on our television screens, the aid agencies continue to work, training people to become farmers and helping them learn to read or write. As a result, people benefit in a sustainable way over a long period of time.

Here are some causes that charities work for:

• Helping people who are poor
• Helping people who have been neglected or abused
• Helping the victims of natural disasters
• Protecting or improving the environment
• Helping communities in isolated areas

Charity workers

Charities employ thousands of people who do an enormous range of jobs. They include vets, nurses, teachers, aid workers, accountants, fund raisers, retail specialists, doctors, office cleaners and telephonists. Some people are very attracted to the idea of working for a charity because they feel they will be doing something to contribute to the welfare of others through their work.

Volunteers

Not everyone who works for a charity is paid. Many people work for nothing and get a lot of satisfaction from doing so. They work in the offices and the second-hand shops of their chosen charity, and spend much of their own time supporting its campaigns. People can get a lot of satisfaction from helping in this way, but it also has social benefits, providing an opportunity to meet like-minded people.

Some organisations send young people all over the world to work one or two years as teachers, nurses, doctors, or on agricultural or scientific projects. They gain valuable experience which can stand them in good stead for getting a job later on.

Organisations like Oxfam, Save the Children and Comic Relief all work to improve the lives of people in developing countries. As charities, NGOs are funded through donations of money made by members of the public.

EXERCISE 1

Go to and find information about charities. Write the names of some of them and the campaigns that they are working on at the moment.