How can a charity help people without creating dependence?

When I used to go to church they were talking about charities. They were talking about the dependence that charities create. Instead of simply giving them water, help them build wells, or systems for clean water, or build electricity generators. Basically, they were talking about raising money for things that help them regain independence instead of things that will only temporarily relieve them.

There’s this old saying: If you give a man a fish, he’ll feed his family for one day. If you teach a man to fish, he’ll always be able to feed his family.

Actually, charity folks can help people to help themselves: They can help people to find a job, they can give them training about how to behave when applying for that job. Any form of professional training will help people to be able to apply for better jobs. If you know how to make cement and build a wall, then you can apply when they look for a mason. If you don’t know that, then you can’t.

Of yourse, that will not help at all, if there are no jobs to apply for - for, the old saying, it means if there’s no water with fish in, then it’s no use teaching a man how to fish.

And then, of course, there are people who can not work and who can’t be independent: Infants, children, disabled people, senile people, chronically ill people. These people always depend on the help of others. You can’t help them out of dependence. It’s just not possible. And if they don’t have anyone who cares for them, then society must support them. I mean, that’s what society is for. If we ever get into a situation where we’re helpless, we’ll be happy to have a caring society.

I’d even say that this is morally obligatory for any group of people: To support any helpless members of the group. Anything else is barbarism.

bye the sheep

I don’t think so. Because some people just can’t get out of dependence. If there’s a single mom with a disabled, chronically ill child that will need medical attention all day, you still can’t make her go to work by limiting charity help. And you can’t push people to get a job if there are no jobs. Especially when the economy is down. There’s no way to live on a job that doesn’t exist.

I think it’s: First. Create Jobs. Second. Teach people and make them able to do these jobs. Third. Make people take those jobs. Fourth. Do not limit help for anyone who can’t work.

joining or helping in a charity program is basically about giving to the less fortunate like people who are victims of a calamity, poverty and street people and others out there. For the mean time u r gving, yes they will depend on the donations and things given to them but charities also help them stand on their own feet and learn about how they can help others as well themselves. Some volunteers who also work for charity have talks w/ the people they help about how they should give back and thanks. But it mostly depends on the prson’s ways of thinking if he wants to help the ppol who help him.

Give a man a fish, you help him for a day! Teach him to fish, you can feed him for life!

A starving man can not learn how to fish LOL, give him fish so that he has a chance to learn how to fish :)

A starving is already dependant lol. Agreed