You don’t have to look very far in Ukraine to find people who are suffering and need help. Unfortunately, the nation’s government is neither trusted nor blessed with abundant resources to alleviate suffering.
The late U.S. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey once said: “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”
Unfortunately, Ukraine’s government is not acquitting itself well.
While there are signs that the nation’s wealthiest people are beginning to take philanthropy seriously, the dominant drive among the nation’s political and economic elite is still greed and lust for power. As Korrespondent magazine found in its current edition, the wealthy in Ukraine still give a very low percentage of their net worth – from one-tenth of one percent to two percent. Absent a change in heart and values, they can’t be counted on.
This is where ordinary people come in.
If you don’t trust government, charities or businesses to help the neediest, do it yourself. Find a person to help or a cause to support and give whatever you can – give until it hurts – directly to the hurting person.
It will make a difference and you’ll feel better.
Do you want to help the cause of journalism in Ukraine? Support the Kyiv Mohyla Academy’s journalism department and its great director, Yevhen Fedchenko, by replacing scholarships lost through cuts in state subsidies.
If you don’t trust government, charities or businesses to help the neediest, do it yourself.
Want to help children? Locate orphanages or drop-in centers and bring some presents, food and money to make sure no child is alone and suffering this holiday season.
Want to help the sick? Kyiv Post readers and others raised more than 100,000 euros to give seven-month-old Polina Ostapenko of Zaporozhye a much-needed liver transplant.
The life-saving surgery will take place on Jan. 2.
There are many more people out there, on Ukraine’s streets and in the subways, who clearly are in need of a helping hand.
Most of us will never accumulate mountains of wealth, nor is that the aim of most people. But many of us can find room within our monthly budgets to find some extra cash for those who are less fortunate.
We can’t take it with us anyway, and the one sure-fire way to know your money is going to good use is to give directly to the recipient.
As the late Mother Teresa said: “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” Or, if you prefer Mahatma Gandhi: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
You’re not just circulating currency. You’re circulating hope. Together, we can get through any crisis.
