After the Great ** in Turkey, many victims received generous donations of goods in the rubble. These items are supposed to be warm kindness, like the winter sun, bringing hope and strength to the victims. However, behind this kindness, some unexpected items were found. They may no longer be needed by their owners, or they may be treasures that have been accidentally discovered, but now they have become a heavy burden for the people in the disaster area.
These items are like the fruits of the season, and although they are bright and attractive, they cannot nourish the weary mind. Among them, there is the thong, which is like a toy in the hands of children, which should be a symbol of fun and joy, but now it has become the embarrassment and helplessness of their lives. There are also high heels, those dancing shoes that used to give women confidence and elegance, but now they are like sharp blades of mockery, leaving the victims with nowhere to put them.
In addition, there are cosmetics. These bottles and cans are supposed to be women's treasures, but now they have become a burden in their lives. The addition of these items undoubtedly adds a bit of comical and helplessness to the already sad scene. However, this does not negate the donor's goodwill. Their intentions are good, to help those in need. It's just that in the process of donating, we need more thinking and choice.
When donating goods, we need to take into account the needs and circumstances of the victims. What they need is not only material help, but also spiritual comfort and love. Therefore, we should choose items that are truly practical and meet their needs in life when donating.
At the same time, we also need to screen and sort the donated items. Items that are out of season and do not meet the needs of the victims should be eliminated or returned. Only those items that really meet their needs and are practical can really play a role in goodwill.
There is simply no real need for these puzzling donations. What's more disadvantageous is that these materials will increase storage costs, waste transportation costs, and bring unnecessary economic losses. Far from helping the victims, this kind of donation is akin to clearing a stock or disposing of garbage.
Volunteers have to spend a lot of manpower sorting through these useless donations, which is an unnecessary waste of resources. Lisa, a volunteer from the International Red Cross, once lamented: "I really don't understand what a ruined place needs lace underwear for, but we are still grateful to these kind people." ”
South Korea** also complained about their own donations, including smelly socks, single shoes, damaged small household appliances, etc. The hand-folded paper cranes donated by Japan have aroused the concern of the Turkish Embassy, which issued a document asking the Japanese people to stop sending paper cranes. At this time, people don't seem to need such mental internal friction. The problem, however, is that donations are often seen as a way to clean up old belongings, rather than actually meeting the needs of the victims.
Previously, in the Istanbul refugee camp, people received donations of unrelated needs, such as Bibles, cosmetics and miniskirts. Adjara Adjara, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, said: "People always think that refugees need clothes, but they don't realise how different life is here. "In addition, the cost of transportation during the donation process is increasing. The expense of transporting these useless items can be a waste of space and money, which is by no means ideal.
During a disaster, some shelf-life foods may spoil during shipping, resulting in more waste. As a result, one Haitian** once reminded: "If you are not sure what to donate, you can donate directly." If you don't want to, then please don't donate casually. We are not ungrateful, but please think before acting generously. ”
I naively thought that the donated clothes would be needed, but now I understand that items like high heels and skirts are not suitable for donations, because the victims really don't need them. I've used to put neat winter padded clothes in donation boxes because I believe these items can be delivered to where they are really needed when properly sorted. Truth be told, the people who were able to donate the underwear they wore were really generous.
Although I can't say for sure whether donating cotton clothes will always help the residents in the mountainous areas, I can be sure that the act of donating underwear is indeed a bit laughable. When doing good, we should not only be satisfied with showing our kindness, but also think carefully about whether the recipient really needs our help and whether it will become a burden to them. More importantly, donations cannot be an easy way for some people to "break away".