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Since September 5 is the death anniversary of Mother Teresa, Charity Day is commemorated in her memory. She won a Nobel Prize in 1997 for her philanthropic activities and her work to lift thousands from poverty and distress. It was also the day chosen for launching the International Day of Charity to create awareness and mobilize people towards philanthropic activities and volunteerism.
Charity amplifies the power of a person. For example, minuscule donations in charity help form resources that help build a dream for someone else, one drop at a time, like a drop of water that helps make an ocean.
Charity can help alleviate some of the major problems plaguing the earth. For instance, consider the goals of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). However, will donations in charity bring us closer to achieve some of the 17 SDGs quickly enough?
To know what the 17 SDGs are and why they are key to human survival and existence, watch here.
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My five takeaways on why Philanthropy helps the world
1. My Privileges Help Me Give Back to the Society
Charity can help alleviate poverty, give access to food, build infrastructure for sanitation, and clean water supply. Also, it can enable access to education, books, and learning resources, help construct schools, and supplement work for housing, and health care services. My privileges have given me easy access to my needs and wants, and the power of education. So, my donation could keep a child from starving. It could have a child, who has not ever seen a school, get enrolled in one.
Switzerland is one of the most charitable countries in the world. In fact, Swiss households donated an estimated amount of 1.8 billion Swiss francs in 2018, as per Spendenreport 2019. In fact, the median donation size per family was 300 Swiss francs. Besides, private firms in Switzerland donated a total of over 69 million Swiss francs in 2018.
2. I Can Contribute to Solving a Problem caused by the Pandemic
Closed schools have kept 90 percent of 1.57 billion school-going students out of schools, also making them miss out on meals they get access to at schools. It also has far-reaching effects on employment, healthcare, and accessibility to basic necessities. Economies have gone on a downward spiral. Thus, affecting the employment of several thousand people. It has also disrupted the access to healthcare and vaccinations, and the supply chains.
3. I can be sustainable in practice
If you have the privilege of capital, you have the power to get a medical clinic or a toilet built. Your money can buy someone three meals a day when he is not even certain of getting one. A comparison of per capita GDP gives a rough estimate of who has greater access to money. As per World Bank data, the per capita GDP of Swiss – 81993 USD, India – 2104 USD
You have the power to get a kid the gift of learning. Your money could help someone access a medical treatment that they could otherwise not afford. You could help save lives with little drops of your effort.
An Indian NGO is keeping more than a million kids across India in schools. They are not only giving them the most hygienic and nutritious food but also ensuring that the kids continue coming to school. Most of these kids come from underprivileged homes and this is the only proper meal they have access to. Intrigued?
Watch this short video to know how a mid-day meal ensures that Indian kids attend school.
SLX Learning is a Switzerland-based blended learning hub. We bring heartwarming stories like these from Switzerland and India to your inbox. Do not forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the bell icon for more such videos on India and Switzerland.
4. I Have an Equal Role to Play to achieve the 2030 goals
The 17 SDGs are about transforming human lives and the planet we live in to build a more equitable and happier world. For instance, the SDGs are spread across five critical areas: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. We can live sustainably and happily when all these are achieved.
One of the aims of the SDGs is to bring together governments, the private sector, academia, civil society members, philanthropic organizations, and individuals. So, this is where you and I have a role to play towards achieving the SDGs
5. I Learn a Lot When I Get Involved
What I learn every time I Donate to Enable Education
The root of many humanitarian crises is the lack of access to quality education. Poverty and the lack of access to education are interlinked. They lead to several crises that have long-lasting impacts across societies.
During COVID-19 many schools and colleges have moved to online education, not everyone can afford that. For instance, in many developing countries, people don’t have access to high-speed internet and affordable gadgets to enable their kids to learn online. Blended learning and online education are cheaper, more engaging, and can reach more students if they have the means to access it. Besides, learning digital skills and upskilling is made easier by EdTech, which also helps reduce the skill gap and stay relevant to the industry.
SLX Learning is committed to building a sustainable future for all. We are a Switzerland-based e-learning hub. Through our e-learning platform, we offer blended learning courses across subjects. We have courses tailored for all types of learners. Sign up for our courses here.
Consider, donating your money or time to an organization committed to making learning accessible to everyone including the underprivileged. The gift of education is the best for a person. As they say, buy a man fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for life.
We demonstrate how we as a Switzerland-based e-learning platform are working towards sustainability. You can visit our courses on sustainability and sustainable development here.
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References:
7 Interesting Facts About Switzerland
Finding a Friendly Neighbor in Sustainability
Origin Story for Sustainable Development Goals
