Monday, October 24, 2005

Some Coins For The Quake Victims

The Student Council went around the campus with a box to get donations from both staff and students alike, for the South Asia quake victims. They came by our office earlier this morning, and I pulled out a RM10 note from my purse and dropped it into the box, knowing that RM10 probably isn't much to those who've lost their homes and all their belongings to the killer quake. I would have loved to help out more, give more, but it's the end of the month and well, there isn't much left as well.

The girls gave a couple of bucks each. The students then approached
Mr. Art Director.

"Morning, we're from the Student Council and we'd like to seek donations from you for the Pakistan quake victims," said student as she thrust the donation box forward towards Mr. Art Director.

"Yeah, and...?" he asked, eyeing them up and down.

"So we are collecting donations from both staff and students for this cause," said the second student.

Mr. Art Director then fished in his pocket and dropped the monies into the donation box. I heard the shillings clanked against one another as they made their way into the box.

Coins. Lose change.

I was appalled and felt sick in my stomach.

Mr. Art Director is a middle-aged man with a family, and is holding a Director position in the company. He is not poor. He has a car. He lives in a decent suburb. He has a working wife. He is not a struggling student trying to make ends meet with a meagre allowance.

Yet he gave only lose change.

If it was a person who came up to you on the road claiming they are from so-and-so association, then maybe lose change doesn't look so bad because we don't know the credibility of these people, and cannot be certain if this monies will end up where it is supposed to go.

But this is different. This is for the quake victims. We know the earthquake happened. We know millions lost their homes. We know tens of thousands have lost their lives. We hear and read about their misfortunes on tv and in the papers.

And all you can cough up is lose change?

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Miser.

Bastard.

Posted by Doreen at 11:52 am