Child Sponsorships: Not a Long-Term Solution

There are countless nonprofit organizations that utilize the fundraising and operational strategy of child sponsorships. Child sponsorships are when people would pay a monthly amount (usually around 30 dollars - or a dollar a day) in order to provide all of the necessities for a child (food, water, clothes, shelter, school, support). There are literally thousands of child sponsorships currently going on in the world between supporters in developed countries and those children struggling in developing countries.

But with the forest fire-like spread of child sponsorships, one would think that these are almost the end goal of nonprofit organizations - almost like organizations are trying to child sponsorships. But child sponsorships should not be the end goal. Child sponsorships are a means to an end. They are a temporary bandaid; they are not a long-term solution.

We should not think that we are solving anything by increasing our numbers of child sponsorships. We cannot be satisfied by signing up more children for these monthly sponsorships. Granted, they help a ton of kids, but they do not provide a long-term solution. They are simply one of the smaller bandaids that we are putting on these global issues. We cannot be satisfied with the huge numbers of child sponsorships that we have. They are not a barometer of how we are solving the global humanitarian issues going on in the world.

Child sponsorships are not long-term solutions. They do nothing to change the infrastructure of struggling countries or the macro-economic situation of these countries. They do not provide the help and hope that can affect huge amounts of people for sustainable amounts of time.

They are not a long-term solution.

And we need long-term solutions.

Then we can be satisfied.

Combine to End

Did anyone see the commercials during the Olympics about the gas company that was doing all of the malaria stuff? They were this huge oil company that was dedicated to providing bed nets to people and helping fight against malaria. This was great!

But then does anyone remember back during American Idol where they had that one episode where they raised all that money for malaria and bed nets? They raised just millions of dollars, and the British government donated another like 200 million bed nets, as well. This was a great effort, and it did a lot for the fight against malaria.

Other than this, there are hundreds of other organizations that are fighting against malaria. But with all of these efforts (small-scale and then extremely large-scale) - why isn't anything being done? Why isn't malaria going away?


One of the reasons why these problems are not going away is because we are not working together. There are so many organization. There are so many resources. There are so many good people doing good things - we have to be making more progress. We cannot keep working in the vagueness and the generalities of humanitarian aid. We have to get specific. We have to get serious about ending these problems. And in order to do that we have to combine.

We have to combine our efforts if we are going to end these problems. Is it possible? Yes. Is it going to happen? I hope so. We are competing against nothing else than the disease itself. We should be combing the efforts of smaller organizations, large organizations like the oil company, and big efforts like American Idol. We should be ending these problems because we are working together to end them.

We have to combine our efforts to end these problems.

And we have to start now.

Malaria Scoreboard

People Living With Malaria Right Now
400,000,000



People Who Died From Malaria Last Year
1,000,000



People That Die Every Minute
20




My friends, we have to go. It is time to go. Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease. Our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters do not need to die from this disease. We have the solution. We have the ability. We have everything that we need to end this.


Let's not only get this number down - let's finish it. Let's end it. It's time.


End goal.

Clean Water Scoreboard

People Without Clean Water
1,100,000,000


People Died from Diseases or Thirst Due to Lack of Clean Water
2,000,000



Honestly, this is all we need to know. Water affects everything in a person's life. There are many more water-related problems - how long it takes people to obtain water, failure rate of water systems, cost of water in slums and low income areas, ect. - but these are the ones we have to get down. Everything depends upon water. I cannot stress that enough.

We have it. People need it. Let's give it to them. Let's get out there and get these numbers down. Here we go.

HIV/AIDS Scoreboard

Total Deaths (2007)
2,100,000


Daily Deaths
5,753


People Living With HIV/AIDS
33,200,000


People Newley Affected in 2007
2,500,000



Alright, friends. Here we go. The problem is before us. These are all numbers from 2007. This is the scoreboard. We have all the resources and passion to make this problem go away. So let's get started. And may God help us all. Let's get these numbers down.

Why No Headway?

There are literally thousands of organizations that specialize in social justice issues around the world. This last week alone I have interacted with a dozen or so different organizations that work specifically with trying to end malaria. But with all of these organizations out there - I mean, it seems like every celebrity has at least one organization or foundation in their name - why isn't anything getting done?

Doesn't it make sense that the more we do, the more should be getting done?

Even with all of these organizations - nothing is getting done. Everyday you can read online about a new group that is doing this or a government that is trying to do that or a fundraiser for this type of thing or that type of thing. These things are large-scale and small-scale, and there are tons of them.

But, again, why isn't the problem going away if all of these organizations are working on it?

I believe this is because of their mindset. For example, all of these dozens of organizaitons that are fighting against malaria - they all simply want to help stop malaria. They are focused on helping in this fight rather than ending it. These groups need to have an end goal mindset.

We have the resources. We have the money and the people. We definitely have enough organizations that are doing good things. But these organizations need to change their mindset in order to start getting things done. Without changing their attitude about what they are doing, we will continue to have hundreds of organizations and problems to support them.

The end goal is to not have these problems anymore.

Starvation Scoreboard

DAILY DEATHS (from starvation)
25,000


TOTAL NUMBER AFFECTED IN WORLD
854,000,000




Here's the score. Let's start to bring this down. Let's end this now.

Watered Down Compassionate Ministries and Services

Do we have watered-down compassionate ministries in our churches?

Do we have watered-down compassionate services in our governments and civil societies?


I think we do. I know we do. I don't blame us for doing it, but I do want to bring this thought to our attention because we need to change. We need to change our attitudes and mindsets about compassionate ministries.

Picture this. You are in a hospital in the emergency room. There is only one doctor who is working. Anybody who comes in has to go to the doctor to receive help. A man comes in with a twisted ankle. He rolled it playing sports, and it is hurting pretty bad. The doctor begins to examine him when someone else comes in through the doors. This man has just been shot in the chest. He could barely drag himself into the emergency room. He is bleeding everywhere, and he is about to die. But the doctor doesn't help him at all. He barely glances over at the man before he continues working on the first man's ankle. The second man soon passes out on the floor due to loss of blood, but the doctor keeps right on working on that ankle. After an hour or so, the doctor is finished helping the man with his ankle. The man is very appreciative and thanks the doctor profusely. That nite the doctor goes home with a satisfied smile on his face because of the way that he helped that man's ankle.

WHAT?????? ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? What a misguieded doctor, right??????????

Well, don't judge too much yet: that is how a lot of our compassionate ministries function.


I can barely understand how we can prioritize our time, resources, and effort on solving the almost inconsequential problems in our communities when there are literally millions of people dying around the world. But what I cannot understand at all is how we do this and walk away satisfied that we are actually accomplishing all that we need to! Isn't this just like that doctor?

We are watering down our compassionate ministries and services. We are kidding ourselves into thinking that we are accomplishing big social justice things when in reality we are only fixing an ankle. There are people dying in the world. There are people who will die tonite if we do not help them. There are gigantic problems that need gigantic answers or else millions of people will die. People are suffering and being abused all over the world. And yet we are getting excited about after-school tutoring in a local elementary school?

Seriously, I am not saying that anything is wrong with after-school tutoring in a local elementary school. I am not saying that the "ankle" isn't important. But I am saying this: We are kidding ourselves into thinking that we are accomplishing compassionate ministries when there are people who truly need our help that we are ignoring - and this is wrong.

We are watering down our compassionate ministries and celebrating pre-season victories like they are the superbowl. This is not right. This is not what we should be doing.

We need to change our mindset. Compassionate ministries and services should start with those who need the most help. We need to serve those who need help the most. We need to go to the very least and the very lost. We need to help those who cannot help themselves at all. This is true compassionate ministries.

And, yes, it is hard. And, yes, we will fail a lot. And, yes, there might not be much difference and much to clap about. But that is where we are needed. That is where we must go.

We need to change our mindset. We need to change our perspective. And then we need to saddle up and start accomplishing true compassionate ministries.

Not Just an Agenda - Who We Are

It is very important for nonprofit and humanitarian agencies to have an agenda of ending these social problems in the world – malaria, unclean water, AIDS, etc. But the more I think about it, we need to not only have an end goal agenda – but end goal needs to be who we are.

We need to be so dedicated to ending these problems that it becomes who we are. It needs to our mindset, our attitude, our beginning point, and our end. We have to be so committed to seeing these problems obliterated that it is our only option and our only goal. It needs to sink inside of us. It needs to consume us. It needs to become more than just an organizational agenda – it needs to be who we are.

Why am I harping at this so much? I am making this sound like such a big deal because it is a big deal. The longer those with power and resources wait – the more those who need help struggle. There are people out there who literally cannot help themselves. They do not have any bootstraps by which to pull themselves up. They are living in such extreme poverty and facing such large issues that they cannot help themselves. They rely on the compassion and strength of others. It is our responsibility to help. But not only to help – we need to try to end these problems completely. And in order to do that, we need to have an end goal mindset and attitude that permeates everything we try to do.

Ending these problems needs to be more than just an agenda – it needs to be who we are.

Not Idealistic Anymore - Now It's Possible.

Too many times people will tell me (and many other young people), “You are being too idealist” or “That’s a good idea, but it’s too idealistic”. For the record, I really do understand what they mean. I understand what they are saying, and I appreciate it, too. I really do. I just greatly disagree with it. And here is why: It’s not idealistic if we have everything in place that we need to succeed – it’s simply ‘possible’.

I understand what is idealistic and what is not. If I were to say right now that we need to stop messing around and solve the AIDS crisis this year – that is probably idealistic. If young people were to go to Washington and picket the government to change every light in the world to one of those energy lights – that is probably idealistic. If I was trying to get everyone in the world to donate 20 hours a week to volunteering somewhere – that is probably idealistic. Why are these things idealistic? Because we don’t have the resources or capabilities to do it, because realistically nobody wants it to happen, and because it just doesn’t make full sense in real life.

But too often, people think that any big plan involving social justice is idealistic when it really isn’t. People are too quick to downplay ideas of ending some of the biggest problems in our world – unclean water, starvation, and malaria. They claim that these dreams are just too idealistic.

But I stalwartly deny this.

With all of my being I deny this.

These efforts are not idealistic. For something to be idealistic – that means that it is not even possible. It is a good thought, but it is not realistic because it is not possible. Either we don’t have the resources or the capabilities or it just doesn’t make sense in the real world – one of those things. But with many social justice issues in the world today, this is not the case. We have the ability to make water clean. We have malaria nets. We have enough food and money so that no one will starve. We have the resources, the capabilities, and the desire.

When we have all of these things – the resources, the capabilities, the money, the desire – then the solutions to these problems are no longer idealistic… they are possible.

They are possible.

Millenium Development Goals

One of the best ways for us to end some of the problems in the world have already been laid out by the UN in the year 2000. These are the eight biggest problems in the world, and this is a great framework for our end goals. If you have never read these before, please take the time to read them now. Thanks.

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day
- Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people
- Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

2. Achieve universal primary education
- Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

3. Promote gender equality and empower women
- Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015.

4. Reduce child mortality
- Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate.

5. Improve maternal health
- Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio.
- Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
- Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.
- Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it.
- Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases.

7. Ensure environmental sustainability
- Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources.
- Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss
- Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation (for more information see the entry on water supply).
- By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers
8. Develop a global partnership for development
- Develop further an open trading and financial system that is rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory. Includes a commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction—nationally and internationally.
- Address the special needs of the least developed countries. This includes tariff and quota free access for their exports; enhanced programme of debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries; and cancellation of official bilateral debt; and more generous official development assistance for countries committed to poverty reduction.
- Address the special needs of landlocked and small island developing States.
- Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term.
- In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries.
- In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

Keep Score - See the Progress

One of the important reasons for keeping a social justice scoreboard of sorts is this: we need to see our progress. We have to see how we are doing. We have to see if we are beating these problems or if they are growing. We have to see how we are doing in this fight. So we need to keep score.

Think about it: how are we doing right now? Are there more people starving in the world this year than last year? Are there more people dying of AIDS in the world this year than last year? Are the numbers growing or are they decreasing? We need to define the problem (the number of people that we need to help), and then we need to define our progress (if the number of people that we need to help is going up or down).

With as much money and publicity as some of these problems get, we really have no idea if we are actually making a difference or not. The ONE campaign has a mission of "making poverty history". They have all kinds of celebrities and all kinds of cool commercials and merchandise and things like that. And, really, they are doing a great job of awareness and of marketing. Seriously, I am behind them 100%. But, how are they doing though? Is poverty ending? Has it even gone down?

We need to have a social justice scoreboard so that we know how we are doing in this fight against social ills and social injustices. We need to know our progress.

We have to define the problem, and we have to know how we are doing against it.

Need for a Social Justice Scoreboard

I was watching t.v. the other day when a news station came on to do a little appeal for the Idaho Food Bank which frustrated me to no end. The lady on the station was talking about a food drive that was going on, and she ended the spot by saying as a final appeal and the Idaho Food Bank’s slogan “Because so many are hungry”.

This is a chronic problem with people in the nonprofit, humanitarian, and social society type of sectors. They have good intentions, but they are so vague that these good intentions will never result in any long-term successes or realistic differences. Let me explain. What in the world does it mean that “so many are hungry”? How many are hungry? Who are they? Where are they? How much food do we need in order to ensure that everyone is fed? If we really want these problems to end, it is ridiculous for us to simply say “Because so many are hungry”. And yet we do that all the time – with a ton of different things.

Think about it. “There are people starving in Africa.” “We need to help out because there are so many people dying of Aids in Africa.” “There are tons of people who don’t have clean water.” And on and on and on. But these statements do not do anything! They are simply vague generalities that do not get to the heart of the issue much less give us any direction in ending it. We have to narrow these things down. We have to find out how many, who, where, when, and what. We have to get specific. We have to get detailed. We have to get some type of a scoreboard.

A social justice scoreboard.

So we can meet our end goal of ending these problems.

End Goal. In it to End it.

In it to end it. In it to end it. In it to end it.

There should be no other way for us to be going after poverty and AIDS and malaria and clean water and starvation. We should not just be trying to make a difference or trying to take a chunk out of this problem or that problem. But we need to be in it to end it. We have to have total elimination as our end goal. If that isn’t our end goal, what else should it be? We have to have the end goal of fully eliminating these problems. There is no other way to attack them but fully, completely, and wholly.

In it to end it. We have to be in it to end it. That has to be our end goal.