I know there are many charities out there, but this one caught my attention because their philosophy not only make sense, but it is “smart”. For every dollar that he/she saves, you will match it $ for $ through Matchsavings.org. After faithfully saving for six months, the individual may withdraw the savings plus interest and receive your match. Now isn’t that simple and beautiful? We are not just helping the people need, we are helping them to help themselves! I am doing something, and they too, are doing something! And the greatest thing is that they show commitment in improving themselves.
I hope the following article will shine light on something that you may consider doing.
Sparking a Savings Revolution
by Nicolas D. Kristof
There’s an old saying about poverty: Give me a fish, and I’ll eat for a day. Give me a fishing rod, and I’ll eat for a lifetime.
There are many variations in that theme. In Somalia, I heard a darker version: If I buy food, I’ll eat for a day. If I buy a gun, I’ll eat every day.
But these days, there’s evidence that one of the most effective tools to fight global poverty may be neither a fishing rod nor a gun, but a savings accounts. What we need is a savings revolution.
Right now, the world’s poor almost never have access to a bank account. Cash sits around and gets spent — and, frankly, often spent badly.
“We used to buy a three-liter bottle of Coke every day,” recalled Socorro Machado, a 49-year-old homemaker in a village here in northwestern Nicaragua. That was a bit less than a gallon, and the cost of $1.75 consumed a large share of the family’s budget.
Then Catholic Relief Services, an aid organization, arrived in the village with a new program to promote savings. It provided a wooden box with a padlock and organized savings groups of about 20 people who meet once or twice a month, typically bringing 50 cents or $1 to deposit in the box.
And no, it is not the kind of cut that makes you look like a man. Rather, it is a cut by a man. And not just any man – it is *your* man. All you need is long hair, a pair of scissors, and a sexy undershirt that does not trap hair. Overly long hair is preferred as that will give you a lot more room for errors. But if you are the adventurous type, short hair could do just as well.