It’s difficult to watch the devastation across the Philippines on our TV screens, viewing the tragedy unfold with grief-stricken survivors walking the streets tugs at our heartstrings. It makes our stomachs do a flip, tears prick in our eyes and lumps rise in our throats. The discomfort we might feel from seeing the footage in no way compares to what the Filipino people are going through right now and we know it. Sat in our centrally heated living rooms we feel even more keenly the difference between us and them, I know I do. And so, we are compelled to act. That teary-eyed heart tug takes us to the place where we say, ‘what can we do? We MUST help them!’
That’s what many have been doing; we do disaster relief at the organisation I work for. I sit near our enquiries team who take all the incoming calls. The phone has been ringing off the hook for the past two days as the British public generously gives to our appeal. It’s heartwarming and inspiring that people are so willing to help.
But, sometimes that desire to help can hurt, sometimes our well-meaning actions mean that we cause more harm than good. Whilst reading my twitter feed last night I noticed a tweet from someone announcing they were doing collections for the Philippines. They had tweeted a photo of tins of food they had collected including Baked Beans and Ravioli.
Do people in the Philippines really eat Ravioli I asked myself? You might say it doesn’t matter at least they are receiving some food but, the reality is, sending over a tin of Ravioli or some of your old flip-flops are not going to do a great deal of help.
First of all it needs to get there, we are already hearing of how hard it is for aid to get through. It will be more beneficial for aid agencies to buy food supplies in Manila and send them on meaning they support the Filipino economy which will undoubtedly be hit by this disaster.
Secondly the tins, clothes and shoes need to be distributed to those who are able to use them. Let’s just stop and think, where they going to find a tin opener in the midst of their devastated homes? Do we want to degrade the Filipino people any more by giving them our cast offs?
Apparently the aid community has coined a term for these items that get shipped from people’s wardrobes and food cupboards as SWEDOW—Stuff We Don’t Want.
Yes, we want to help but the best way to respond is to give the money in our pockets not the food on our shelves. It’s uncomfortable to us in our English-ness to ask so directly for money but the reality is, that is what is needed and this is what is best. From 1p to £100 it will all make a difference and will be used by organisations that have coordinated their response to the disaster to meet the greatest needs and cover the greatest areas.
It might be controversial to say but I’m not sure they want you Ravioli.
Acting Justly, Loving Mercy, Walking Humbly with my God 