How can we help? Questions and answers about tsunami relief Since the tsunami, I've received many inquiries from individuals and congregations. They ask what they can do to help survivors in Indonesia, where I serve as an ELCA missionary. Sending money to a relief organization seems so impersonal, some write. Couldn't we go as volunteers or send our youth group to help clean? Could we send clothing and blankets? What about adopting children who have lost their parents? Shouldn't we use this as an opportunity to evangelize? Why should we route our money through relief agencies if our congregation can send it directly to individual churches or companion synods in India, Thailand or Indonesia? Survivors will long need help to rebuild their shattered lives. Our hearts go out to them. As Christians we want to be an active part of the solution. But what kind of help should we offer? Here are a few tips from my vantage point in Indonesia. Couldn't we serve as volunteers? It may sound impersonal, but the best way to help tsunami survivors is to send a financial donation to a reliable relief agency. Volunteers are rarely needed because disaster relief requires professionals with technical skills and prior disaster experience. International disasters are more complicated than domestic ones, normally requiring passports, visas, fluency in another language and cross-cultural skills. Hiring qualified survivors is more cost effective and sustainable than relying on foreign volunteers. Volunteers are well meaning but are apt to get in the way, taking up food, accommodations and supplies needed locally for residents and professional workers. If you have disaster skills and experience, or are skilled and desire experience, you can register to be contacted at Web sites such as the Center for International Disaster Information (http://lolo.cidi.org/input/dstechas.htm). Why not send clothing and blankets? Collecting and sorting takes a great deal of time and effort. Exorbitant shipping costs make this impractical as well. Clothing and blankets are nearly always available near a disaster area. By purchasing locally, relief agencies avoid prohibitive costs and find what best suits the people of that culture. Buying in the region also boosts the local economy and ensures the goods arrive quickly. What about adopting orphans from affected areas? The best home for orphans of natural disasters is within their community and culture. In Asia, cultures are group-centered rather than individual-oriented. Extended families feel responsible to care for their own, and this is the least traumatic solution for the children. Nations have the responsibility of protecting their citizens too. Indonesians were aghast when one agency suggested airlifting 300 orphans from Banda Aceh and putting them in a Christian children's home. The Indonesian government quickly prevented the "trafficking" of its children and prohibited their adoption by people outside of Aceh. Even Indonesia's first lady was reportedly chided for suggesting that she could adopt a few Acehnese children. Interestingly enough, the children politely refused her offer. They preferred to stay in Aceh. Some Christian relief agencies proselytize as well as distributing aid. Is this a good thing to do for the kingdom of God? Is it ethical to use this tragedy as an opportunity to evangelize, especially in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, where overt evangelism is strictly prohibited? Taking advantage of the situation increases religious tensions and makes it more difficult for local Christians later. Also, can traumatized and depressed people make sound decisions? Is it right to use their hopelessness and vulnerability as a means to convert them? Charity with a hidden agenda breeds contempt and causes more harm than good. The most credible relief organizations are those that worked in the area before disaster struck and have earned the trust of the people. Why bother routing our money through relief agencies if our congregations can send it directly to churches or companion synods in Asia? When a humanitarian catastrophe occurs, aid agencies assess the damage and determine what help is needed. Hundreds of relief agencies are hard at work in tsunami-devastated areas, including Action by Churches Together and other partners through which the ELCA International Disaster Response channels funds. Sending a cash donation directly to a local church or synod may sound like a wonderful idea. But by doing this you bypass our church's network of partners who are in the best position to assess the damage and render aid because they are experienced and on location. Most synods and congregations in developing countries aren't equipped to deal with disaster relief or to take responsibility for handling large sums of money. When you give, make sure your gift is part of a coordinated relief effort so you know how the funds are monitored and dispersed. Anyone with experience in developing countries knows accountability can be a serious problem, even in the church. Remember, too, that our church's goal is long-term sustainable development. The ELCA's partners — such as ACT, Lutheran World Relief and Church World Service — established a strong presence in tsunami-affected areas long before the disaster, often employing many residents. They are far more adept at assessing the needs and meeting the challenges faced by survivors than individual congregations or companion synod offices. How, then, can you best help? Support the ELCA International Disaster Response effort or the established legitimate relief organizations working in areas devastated by the tsunami. Pray for God's wisdom and guidance for those who use the funds you send. Keep up with the relief efforts through media reports. Learn about the people, cultures and religions of the areas affected. Most importantly, continue to pray for those who have been traumatized. |
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