23 May 2008

Fund Raising, Wesak Day and others

During my visit to Wesak Celebration at the Malaysian Buddhist Association, (Penang) at Burma Road and the Siamese Temple at Perak Road, i form a opinion, which was reinforce just a few days later.
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Why use school going kids to collect or raise funds? Are we trying to teach these children that begging works?
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On Wesak day, At the Malaysian Buddhist Association, (penang) at burma road, just as you enter the gates, you will be hit by a bunch of school kids in uniform asking for donations, as you walk further inside there are disable people on wheel chairs or even on the floor, then the "official" collectors for the various fund, in all it seems o me that there is around 200 or more person just to collect funds at this venue. What a contrast at the Siamese Temple at Perak Road, I saw one beggar, that all.
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A few days later, my kid came home with a request, "teacher say, we need to give money for the Myanmar people." My reply "Daddy already given", My wife later pass her RM1.
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What type of message are we trying to send to our children? That it is ok to go around begging for money?
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All those fund raising especially at the complexes, selling items etc? Not for me, I give directly to the source, that way i know that at least 50% of the fund i give goes to the people that really deserve it, not to some administrative fee or some other fee.

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