My simple reply would be- it is about the person itself-
one individual can make a difference.
If you don't believe that, try spending One night with just ONE mosquito...

Most, probably, on this site enjoy travelling as it does (for some) widen their understanding and experience a different world to their own
As countries are crossed, (and if the traveller is open to learning) he or she realizes how lucky they are to afford to travel. Some may become more aware of all the many other benefits they have/have had in their lives such as medical care, education etc. compared to many of those, sadly a hugely disproportionate amount, whose life is, more or less, down to daily survival.

So Surfy you ask 'did we help'? I do not to whom this ‘we’ refers to but I have noticed the repetition of that word many a time without understanding whom these ‘we’ you refer to are. Without wishing to pry, I would pose the question to anyone to try to answer it:
Did you help and if so, how, where, what motivated you and why? Such specific questions can be uncomfortable but do call for specific replies. It is possible that, should answers be offered, ways and means ‘how to’ could motivate others to step up. It is, of course, a question of personal choice whether an individual wishes to get involved – or not-

Whatever each of us believes in (or not) , some individuals are driven to get off their gluteus maximus and actually use their knowledge and abilities to step out of their safe and comfortable lives and environments and actually DO something to help. It isn’t rocket science to do so and probably anyone can do this but it does requires the will to do so, the determination to stay the distance and that then engenders personal sacrifice and often, alas, risk.
It is totally about achieving a result for strangers whose suffering you could relieve. I would describe any personal or group effort as grains of sand- mostly insignificant individually in the vastness of our world but collectively will build a massive dune.

There are, as of today, 71,973 userson the HUBB. Imagine the amount of knowledge and abilities held by those plus, should each give £10, the price of a couple of pints soon forgotten, the amount generated would be three quarters of a million pounds. I know what that could build and do for those who are in need.

Every journey has start somewhere if someone wishes to help others. Some people, missionairies or others may wish to 'tag’ a label such as an organisation or Faith describing their motivation- so be it- at least they had the courage to get out there and do something.

Bottom line on all this? and what really (IMHO) matters is the poles apart difference between actually ‘doing’ and just 'talking’ about it.
Who does it, who they are, where they are from, what language they speak, whatever the colour of their skin, how tall or short they are, what bike, 4x4, truck (donkey?) they drive (ride) or what their religion is, consider this:
we ALL bleed red and suffering knows no frontiers Surely this pandemic alone would have taught us this by now.
My 2 pence- Stay safe out there
- and-
if you be of mind to lend a hand wherever you go, please do. For me, there is no greater reward on earth than in seeing that look of gratitude in a stangers' eye, his or her smile or that handshake when you do so.
Be gentle with others and yourself.

You think you can help with that cash?

Our first world gouverments did spent billions as development aid in the third world. Did they did help?

If I had to spent 1 Mio $ to help others. What would be helpful at the end?

Probably I would be able to help at switzerland, in a culture and environment I did understand.

Our helping organisations did show in africa, what they was able to do. Many villages without a drinking fountain, then you meet a village where are 5 pieces side by side. From red cross germany, swiss red cross some eu branded helping organisations. Ok maybe wrong planning... BUT..

They did too want to do something good, or? Does it really help this villages in africa, to build drinking fountains?

Would you build also drinking foutains to make a difference?

Everything is stick together. Optaining more water out of the ground, change the groundwater level, let stop working these drinking foutains they did by themself in villages nearby. Let the plants to die slowly. Now also these villages need help, who did was able to help themself before.

So building drinking fountains did change something in the nature - I didnt calculated before.

What did my "help" did too. Was there s a social structure before? Did the locals did use water more economical as it was rare? Was it a job of a family to obtain water? What else happens unexpected, with build there drinking fountains? Did the population start to grow faster than before?

Also with "I want to do something good", with making a difference, I can do a lot of shi***t.

Even going for planting trees in the desert (like other candidates did rom the hostage thread) could change the local environment unexpected.

Surfy

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Still no idea who the 'we' are!
Here is something to think about

We = the western world

Surfy

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My head says I agree, but my heart says there's another dimension to this.

Take cancer research. Every summer tens, hundreds, of thousands of people take on sponsored charity events - runs, walks, cycle rides, anything you can think of, with the intent of raising money for cancer research. I know because I've run in them and I've worked at the events and I see them, puffing their way round the course with photographs of loved ones who have suffered from the disease attached to their T shirts. And does the money raised make a difference? Compared to what governments round the world put into the research programmes it hardly registers. But most of the participants know that. It's not that they've made a difference that matters to them, it's that they've made an effort. The main function is to keep the subject in the public eye. As with cancer charity events so with foreign aid charities. I've worked with a number of businesses who fundraise for them and they know the money is a drop in the ocean. They still do it though.

Forget the 'we' s
Forget the governments
Forget organisations
Forget endless debates about the rights and wrongs of what others have done.

And consider this:
What each of us can do to reach out, without any judgement, to lend a hand to those less fortunate than we are.
That's all,
That's everything.
A tiny stitch in the fabric of our planet perhaps but it would make it a better place to be.

If you still think to plant trees in the desert is helpful, do it, or support it.

That a tree could be exactly that what kills the natural balance in the desert, who need to much water on a given location, that is a maybe.

That providing enough clean water in remote villages in Mali, could have a unwanted impact, is reasonable.

But we do have some NGO, some aid organizations workers which did feel a lot better than before, when adding 5 drinking fountains in one village. And some donors did feel better too. The employees of these foundations just want to do something good, that is true.....

Personally as someone who did worked partly for foundations in my life too, I dont think they are able to do something useful, more than use 20% of the funds for themself.

If you like to be different, to help, do it where you can hope to get a result you would like at least partly.. Help homeless people at example. Help them there where you can know, that your help doenst harm.

Surfy

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Trans-Africa over the west coast