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Hjælp Afrika – men hvordan?

august 27th, 2011

”Alle annoncører i denne reklameblok har givet 50.000 kr. til Afrika – TV2 dobler op til 100.000”. Hurra, hvor er vi gode mod de stakkels nødstedte mennesker. Men hvorfor skal der store TV-shows og kendte artister til for, at vi vil donere et beløb? Personligt kan jeg slet ikke holde den selvfede tone ud, hvor firmaer konkurrerer om, hvem der giver mest, og hvor vi skal sidde bænket i timevis ved kaffebordet foran skærmen for at blive stopfodret med en blanding af underholdning og information om de skrækkelige forhold i flygtningelejrene.

Og jeg kan da også bare slukke for skærmen og lave noget andet, men jeg vil faktisk gerne hjælpe Afrika. For et par år siden sendte jeg et beløb til ”Læger uden grænser”, og siden har denne organisation utrætteligt bestormet mig med henvendelser om at støtte igen. Har man én gang støttet UNICEF, ringer deres call-center igen og igen, så jeg har ikke megen lyst til at give mine kontaktoplysninger til flere organisationer. Støtte via mobiltelefon tør jeg slet ikke kaste mig ud i, så vil SMS’erne aldrig ophøre.

Disse former for fundraising må jo have vist sig at virke på mange mennesker, men hvor er der en indsamlingsbøsse, hvor man anonymt kan lægge penge i? En konto, man kan overføre penge til uden at ens oplysninger bliver videregivet til alle mulige velgørende organisationer?

Friends of Shamayita Math

februar 19th, 2010

After my second visit to the spiritual organisation called SHAMAYITA MATH in West Bengal I was convinced that I would go home and intensify my efforts to support their work. This is now happening.

For readers that don’t know anything about SHAMAYITA MATH, I can briefly tell, that it is a women’s spiritual organisation located in West Bengal in India. The organisation is striving to develop the living conditions for the people in the rural area, which is one of the poorest areas in modern India. Since the beginning in 1996, it has been catering to the socio-economic development of the society through various service-oriented programmes with thrust on Human Resource Development. It is committed to serving the poorest of the poor in meeting their education and health needs.

Shamayita Math is founded by the Revered Prabhuji Lord Rishikrishna, who said that:

Service is neither mercy, pity, compassion nor political fashion, but love acquired through Sadhana.

This philosophy is one of the basic ideas of the place. Read more about Shamayita Math on their own website here.

My daughter, Lise, spend 6 weeks teaching English at the girl’s school in 2009, and later this year my son and daughter-in law, Søren and Mia, spend 5 months there doing field studies and voluntary work. We are all very impressed by the wide and evergrowing range of activities concentrated on education, vocational training and health. But most of all, we came to love the place and the outreaching, dedicated people, who work and live there.

 To enhance and systematise our support to Shamayita Math we have decided to build a charitable society in Denmark, where everybody who wants to help the organisation morally or economically can join. The name of the new club is FRIENDS OF SHAMAYITA MATH, and it is possible for Danish or foreign individuals to become a member. Also other clubs or organisations can become members, as long as they share our goal.

 Do you want to know more? Contact me on Hagelund@bentehagelund.dk.

School under the trees