Giving stuff

This morning, while reading an article at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, I came across One Million Jasons - an article about the problems caused by giving stuff internationally. Not necessarily used stuff - just giving things rather than money to a country not necessarily in need of or equipped to deal with the particular thing you want to send.

While in Guatemala, James and I were amazed at the countless stores selling second-hand clothes from the U.S. Every other shop in the town of Coban offered - "Ropa Americana" - American Clothes. Inside, piles and piles of clothes, shoes, belts, hats, toys, anything and everything you find in America's thrift stores and yard sales were piled high. We rarely saw anyone actually purchase anything. At first, we joked about it, but the more stores we encountered in even the smallest of Guatemalan towns, the more concerned we became.

Why are we, the U.S.ians, casting off so much stuff? We know the amount of unwanted items mounding up in trashpiles, storage facilities, and resale stores throughout our own country. Now we are aware of how much the small, Latin American country of Guatemala is receiving. How much more stuff is sent to the various other nooks and crannies of the world?

Perhaps instead of buying so much for ourselves and then donating it when we decide we don't want it, can't use it, don't like it anymore - we should not buy that something that seems like such a good deal - and, instead, send the money we saved to someone in need - let them decide whether they'd rather have a used t-shirt from Target or, perhaps, breakfast that day....