Helping to dig ditches in a third world country - really?

[berkeman]

I know several people who volunteer to help build family houses in Mexico each year, and I'm familiar with medical folks who volunteer to help provide medical diagnosis and treatment on trips in 3rd world countries. Those make sense to me, because you have a special skill that may not be present very much in the areas that you are volunteering in. I think such volunteer work is very admirable.

But I tend to agree that digging ditches does not make sense, unless you just want to immerse yourself in a culture to see what is like, and there are no other skilled things that you can do that would help more.

(Hope I don't get fired as a Mentor for saying that...)

 

[OmCheeto]

As it was posted on a Facebook it is not a secret I suppose. One of the forum staff members is at the moment digging ditches somewhere high in South America to help locals in construction work.
...

I don't think he/she is high. I think it's a cultural thing.

In North America, we've been brainwashed into thinking "walking", will solve things. Do you have anything equivalent to the "March of Dimes", in Poland?

 

[berkeman]

I don't think he/she is high. I think it's a cultural thing.

 

[edward]

Years ago I went on a trip to a Mexican village with a group of fellow do-gooders to help rebuild after a severe storm. It was only about 70 miles south of the border and we went down from Tucson AZ. About noon of the third day we headed home.

About twenty miles up the road we came to an irrigation canal that ran parallel to the road. We were all hot smelly and that water really looked inviting. After a pleasant dip we were back in the van and on the road again. We only got about a quarter of a mile when we noticed women who appeared to be washing out poopy diapers in the canal.

We got in a bit of a discussion about which way the water in the canal was flowing so we stopped to check. It was the wrong direction.

One of the guys tried to explain to the women about the sanitation aspect. They said not to worry, they wash their clothes first, then the poopy diapers.

 

[SteamKing]

Montezuma's revenge comes in many forms: some obvious, some not so obvious.

 

[OmCheeto]

Hey! Be serious!

I think the reason I brought up the March of Dimes is because I'll be walking this Saturday for a Cure Leukemia cause. Usually, I just donate money to the various causes. But somehow, the thought a another free T-shirt convinced me to walk. But then this thread popped up, and it made me think about how productive these walks are. Sure they generate revenue, but what is the walking all about? 10,000 people, wearing out their tennis shoes, is much less productive than one staffer digging a ditch.

 

[edward]

Hey! Be serious!

I think the reason I brought up the March of Dimes is because I'll be walking this Saturday for a Cure Leukemia cause. Usually, I just donate money to the various causes. But somehow, the thought a another free T-shirt convinced me to walk. But then this thread popped up, and it made me think about how productive these walks are. Sure they generate revenue, but what is the walking all about? 10,000 people, wearing out their tennis shoes, is much less productive than one staffer digging a ditch.

My daughter is a starving social worker in Portland and she does all of the walks. I never realized it was for the free T shirts. Her husband really looks funny in the pink ones, perhaps I should send her some more money.

 

[OmCheeto]

My daughter is a starving social worker in Portland and she does all of the walks. I never realized it was for the free T shirts. Her husband really looks funny in the pink ones, perhaps I should send her some more money.

If she joins the Light-the-Night party on Saturday, and you send her $100, she gets an all you can eat buffet.

And the walk starts at the convention center. It is home of the world's largest Foucault's pendulum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oYvffE6iGY​

Tell your daughter to look for the grey haired guy in the pink PF T-shirt.

 

[Hornbein]

Imagine! Paying someone so you can dig a ditch! Only in America.

I think it makes sense. You get to do something useful and get to know people. Sipping pina coladas on the beach is boring.

 

[OmCheeto]

I think it makes sense. You get to do something useful and get to know people. Sipping pina coladas on the beach is boring.

Exactly! I spent 9 days in Cabo about 7 years ago with some of my siblings.

We would sit around at the beach and sip pina coladas.
My brother said; "You can't do this back home!"
I didn't say anything, but thought to myself; "I do this every weekend..."

Cabo is weird, but it was the most intense vacation I've ever been on. But that's another story.