It's been hard to be in the mood to really blog nowadays cos I simply dun haf the inspiration to write. Even when I do post something, somehow I feel that it's just a half-hearted me typing on the keyboard, struggling to get each and every word out of my teeny-weeny brain, just to keep this blog alive. So, now that I realise I've got something to comment about, and I have the thoughts still fresh in my memory, I think I better get it typed before the thoughts just decide to flutter away and leave my memory forever. And so, it'll be about charity. A very common subject of discussion. If novelty is what you are craving for by reading this post, I can't guarantee that it will satisfy your craving. Afterall, even when inspired, my brain is the same teeny-weeny brain that we all know. Hence, unless you are prepared to read almost the same old shit about charity, kindly exit from here.

Still here?

Then we'll move on to the topic proper.

After catching a glimpse or two of the NKF Cancer Charity Show, I realise that NKF has been pretty successful in its bid to "diversify". Starting out as a foundation to help kidney disease patients battle their illness and provide centers for dialysis, it has now broadened its wings to include children and cancer patients in its list of beneficiaries. I'm not saying that what they have done is wrong. Helping more people cope with their illnesses is of course a good gesture that anyone would welcome. However, the way it is being done now, with countless shows on TV to get the millions they need, can be a bit too irritating for me to accept.

You may argue that everyone who has been part of the show has been sincere in garnering the support of the public, thereby getting them to donate generously. The stunts and acts just get more and more challenging, don't they? So, if you brave the dangers just so that people could go for dialysis, operations and chemotherapy, you've done the world a good deed eh? well that's fair enough, but what of those who are watching the show and calling in? and what about those sitting in the front rows, have you observed what some of them do in these shows? If you haven't, the next time you watch a charity show like the one that was just aired on TV, please look out for the supposedly front-row people who scramble for their handphones, dialing the numbers only when the camera focuses on them. To think that a charitable deed is supposed to come from the heart.

Speaking of hearts and all, we can argue that every ideal has a pragmatic side to it. How can we reach the destination without taking pragmatic steps towards that ideal, right? Some feel that nowadays, calling in to donate is like killing two birds with one stone. Just that you are not killing[as you are helping people so that they can live longer, or at least cope with their shortened lifespan as a result of their illness]. But ultimately, in the minds of some, they think of the returns when they call in. At first, they might sense a calling for them to open their charitable heart now that donating is made so convenient. But, if we were to pry their hearts open again, factoring in what they get when they make a certain number of calls, we can say that the intention becomes a little ambiguous. They may claim that the amount of money they are donating will help the patients significantly, but why the need for rewards? Ok, so nobody asked to be given prizes but since NKF wanted to give away the prizes, might as well just receive them with open arms right? But then again, can't we say that this system of rewarding one for a good deed done mean that without the reward there is little incentive to call in?

I'll leave you to think about that while I try to backtrack and talk about the show itself. Usually, in every charity show, they'll have some of the beneficiaries [or rather their immediate family member] talk about their experience, something like making a plea to the public so that they will donate generously. The thing is, it is some of the hosts or stars who will get all teary while the one suffering sits in silence or at most say a few words after their video clips are shown. I'm not saying that the tears are fake, cos I think if put in a similar situation, I'll probably react in the same manner. But as one Malay idiom goes, berat mata memandang, berat lagi bahu memikul. a fitting idiom for this kinda situation. when translated, it means that looking at and understanding someone's difficult plight can never be the same as going through the rough terrain yourself.

So I thought it would do the beneficiaries a whole world of good not to focus the camera right on the person's face for too long after the video clip finishes. I know it looks more real when you get to know who will benefit from your donation, but have you thought of this? No one likes to have their problem publicised. If it has to be made known at all, then at least we could spare them from the camera while they are in the studio. Having to talk about it as they talk to the host or stars when the problem is already publicised to the whole nation through their video clip is I think, as difficult as coping with the illness or the financial burden that they have to carry as a result of the illness itself.

Having said all that, I'm not sure that anything I said will matter at all. Taking a thousand steps back to where charities like NKF started decades ago would render current efforts futile I think. It's like you've been giving away prizes to get more people to donate and to get them to donate more, so if you suddenly say no more prizes for donating, I think the number of calls will go down quite significantly. I understand that many other organisations don't actually give away prizes to the donors but we're talking about the largest charity organisation in Singapore to date, which holds charity shows most frequently on TV. I don't think they'll stop giving away prizes, but anyhow, I'd just like to say that the next time you make a donation, do it with the fullest sincerity you can ever give and not for the prizes. If at the back of your mind you start thinking of the prizes to be given away and it has a bearing on the amount you will donate, I suggest you keep that amount of money to yourself.

Who knows? You might need it later so, there's nothing wrong with saving for a rainy day.