In Reply to: my feelings posted by vonda on Saturday, 17. February 2007 at 10:25 Bali Time:
I sponsor an African boy with World Vision, he is the second child through W.V. that I have sponsored. Have been sponsoring for over 16 years now. And I also sponsor two 7 year olds from Bali.
I have always felt guilty that I have not visited my sponsor kids and taken gifts etc, but as I am a single mum with two sons one with disabilities and an elderly sick mother, I have limited time and funds.
My one extravagance is to do a yearly trip to Bali to visit friends and relax and I do take stuff to give to my friends but I just don't feel comfortable turning up at either a school or their home(sponsor child) and giving out gifts to only two kids and their families and not the others. I also feel that by sponsoring their education I am giving them the best gift of all.
I am not saying giving gifts out is wrong, everyone must do what they feel comfortable doing but I do sometimes wonder if we will create a generation of Bali children that will grow up expecting gifts etc from
Westerners as their right and they will then be like our children who see it as ok to have what they want when they want it. I am having trouble putting into words how I feel about this, so I hope people don't take it the wrong way.