Giving done right

Finally. So the last group I was with in Nueva San Ysidro triggered a crisis of conscience about charity (see "Soapbox sidebar"). But this group has completely restored my faith in giving. There is a right way to give, and we should definitely do more of it.

Here are some of the women of Nueva San Ysidro receiving donations of clothing from the group. The clothing is less like a gift, and more like an investment in small enterprise. The women don't keep the clothing for themselves. They sell it (at an affordable price) to each other and to other people in different communities. In this picture, the women are sorting through the donations and figuring out how much to charge for stuff.

Since most of the adults can't read or write, the younger girls write down each item and how much it will cost.

30% of the profit stays with the women. They divide up that percentage among themselves and use it however they need to. The other 70% goes back to Nueva San Ysidro, and the community uses it to buy some of the supplies they need to build houses. So instead of just receiving donations, these women are using what they get to run their own small business, giving back to their community and empowering themselves along the way.