Charity begins at home......not away

I'm sure by now you've been stopped by someone in the high street sporting a bib asking for a minute of your time.The techniques now used to draw the public in to making charitable donations can range from the downright zany and in your face to the somewhat more subtle, like a request for the correct time.There is no denying though, that when you stop, these 'charitable' workers are after one thing only, your bank details.I don't have a problem with charity per se (he writes with the hardened tone of Ebeneezer Scrooge) but there's something about being confronted in the street to give donations that sits uncomfortably with me.The thing is, the people who are often beguiling the public to pledge their money aren't necessarily in it for entirely charitable reasons.They may loosely support what they're doing but when you get down to it, more often than not they're asking for money because it's their job to ask for money. Their earnestness in tackling the designated problems can seem fairly tenuous.I understand though, that while it may not necessarily be what the charity worker wants to do for their entire life, bills must be paid and the fact that good causes benefit serves as an added bonus. I have therefore reached an inner compromise with the street workers; I get to ignore them and in turn they do not incur my wrath because I can understand their position.I'm less tolerant when it comes to the relatively new phenomenon of charitable tourism.Last week I was asked by a friend to help pack bags in my local supermarket to raise money so he could go to build houses in Ghana.I don't doubt that Ghana needs better housing or in fact that my friend will be helpful when he gets out there when working on the project.My objections lie in the fact that this type of venture is usually not, at its heart a charitable act.Most people (admittedly not all) who participate in these types of programmes are doing so for their own gratification. The overriding reason for planning such a trip is not in fact to help the people of Africa but to add variety to the person's life experiences. Some of the most cynical 'volunteers' even add it to their CV to impress prospective employers. I would feel much happier if the pub quizes, bag-packing and numerous other initiatives designed to raise money for such trips were given directly to the charity and did not have to pay for flights, accommodation and food for the prospective volunteer.I think if the individual was made to pay for these costs out of their own pocket I would feel a lot happier about contributing.Until that happens my mind's eye still sees it as some kind of middle-class voyeurism. Westerners go and see people living in sub-standard conditions and report back to their friends about how awful it is for the poor unfortunates. Most of the time the tourists are housed in much better conditions than the locals they are trying to help. There's something perverse in that itself.Still, I can see the counter argument. People may be taking advantage of such schemes ultimately for their own benefits but if people are being helped then what odds? I understand that if these mechanisms weren't in place the charitable projects would not help as many people as they do. I know that as long as that continues to happen it can only be a good thing.I just think that it could be a better thing if charity, not tourism was the main reason behind chariable tourism. It's not a perfect world though and the current model is doing more good than harm. It's easy to see that I'm conflicted on this issue. I did go to pack bags for my friend the other week. Begrudingly.