Oh, people in Sudan can do without a little help...

Oh, people in Sudan can do without a little help... what was this coalition thinking when they decided to cut development aid by half?

Aren’t we missing a bit of humanity here?

Prosperous OECD countries have collectively agreed that 0.7% of national income should go towards development aid. That’s really not much, but you can do a lot of good with it:

- Food aid to prevent famines caused by war or climate change (to which OECD countries have contributed the most, but people in the global south suffer the most)

- Support to provide clean drinking water so children under five don’t die from diarrhea

- Support for free media to help democracy flourish worldwide

- Support for women to start businesses so they can send their children to school

The government is now halving this aid, leaving a huge gap. Doing nothing is not an option. If the government won’t do it, we will do it ourselves. That’s why 100WEEKS started the campaign #heftineigenhanden (take matters into your own hands).

A solution: donate 1% of your salary. Most Dutch people belong to the richest 3% of the world and can spare a bit.

Some people go even further, donating 10% of their salary, like those in the Ten Percent Club. Donating is one of the most effective things you can do to make a difference, and it’s truly inspiring to see so many fully committed to it.

Whether you choose to donate 1% or 10%, The Social Handshake makes donating directly from your salary possible through #LoonGift or #PayrollGiving. This way, you can even decide where a part of your tax money goes. Because with LoonGift, the government also contributes to your charitable donations!

You can support 100Weeks, as well as other organizations like Doneer Effectief, Stichting Vluchteling, or Free Press Unlimited, which work hard to tackle these issues.

I have been to Sudan many times, and news like this affects me deeply. Fortunately, there are many who act out of compassion.

Want to know more about the consequences of cutting development aid? Be sure to read Simon van Teutem’s piece in De Correspondent. Development aid? "Our own people first," says this coalition.