Good stuff

It's nice to read some uplifting stuff in the newspapers for once. I recommend this story by travel writer Nicholas Kristof in the NY Times, about an Ugandan girl who could go to school because American children donated $120 to a fund, which bought a goat for her impoverished family. The girl proved such a good student she eventually won a scholarship to a college in Connecticut, and she just got her B.A.

I like the idea of helping people to help themselves, and to keep government out of it as much as humanly possible. Kristof lists some helpful sites, and I took a particular interest in this page, which gives you the opportunity to browse many different grassroots organizations to find the one(s) to your liking. I found this Kenyan project of interest, but there are many others.

After reading this I also went and donated to this group (another link I found at Kristof's page) combating the horrible but sadly neglected problem of obstetric fistula. I'm sure there are other worthy causes out there, feel free to add them in the comments section.

I know a lot of Norwegians are awash in cash during the summer months and ask only that you consider donating the price of a couple of pints of beer to some small cause you find worthy. If half a dozen people (probably the whole readership of this blog...) give $20 each, that's a new goat for someone in Africa. Who knows, it might make you feel better than that last beer, especially the morning after!