Income v Charity

So, just like every normal student who has nothing to do in their free time I started looking for jobs, left right and center and didn't get one single reply. This lasted for about a month and a half, I applied for internships stretching all the way to London as well as retail jobs in my local city center. Thing is, my mind couldn't take it no more. The efforts of going through application after application and you're sat waiting for some random Sarah to ring/e-mail you sending her regards? just no.

The need for money is always there, as a young woman its a priority to make money because I think it's part of being independent at my age. I then turned my back on money and started to think about charity. Yes, you're now thinking...that's not money. Well fuck money. If they don't want me i'm sure there's other people out there that do. I thought long and hard about the long term effects of charity work in the UK and how they influence the conditions which we see on a regular basis on television advertisements. Seeing the news about Gaza and feeling hopeless started to annoy me. So, I did the one thing I could. I simply walked into an Oxfam shop and said "I'm all yours."

From an uneducated perspective, you'd think I'm simply doing what every other retail assistant is doing but for free. Nah, I think it's much bigger than that. I feel good knowing that I'm not just helping, but i'm donating hours of my time to go towards those in need. Living in a MEDC I believe we have everything at our fingertips no matter what the struggle. Benefits, loans what have you. I am just another impatient student who needs money as a means of immediate gratification. I know I need money to get by, but I broadened my horizons and thought I am a university student. My education is the passport to a future career, but for now I could possibly save lives in countries that need it more than me. 

I chose Oxfam because I trust it. Their work isn't a 3minute advert between Come Dine With Me.

They contribute towards girls' education in Pakistan which combats the problem of gender inequality and equal rights. A challenge that my own mother faced. Also they have concentrated on midwives in Ghana, they've helped distribute tissue, water and soap to prevent diseases in Kenya and they continue to promise change in many other countries in crisis.

Money comes and goes. I hope to have a stable future once I have completed my degree. So, being part of a charity and knowing I can impact other people's future's for the better is a blessing.