Go Sarah! Planners 1, Searchers go home

(Thank you Paula!!)

Never thought I'd advertise for Sarah McLachlan. Not that I have anything against the girl, but she surely was never in my top 10..

Well, not anymore. She's been promoted :))) And the reason is her new song, 'World on Fire'. And the story behind it.

The concept is simple: how much does shooting a video clip in LA cost? Well, about 150,000 dollars.
So she decided to DONATE the money. And that's what the video is all about: interwined with shots of her performing the song - barefoot :) - with photos of all the beneficiaries of the donations.

Because paying a production assistant in LA costs $200 A DAY - the same it costs to enroll 100 kids for a term in Ethiopia.

Now do that with $150,000. The result is fantastic. Bottom line: 150 grand can do a video clip - or affect the lives of a million people.


Below is the video clip and the list of charities.

Conclusion: yes, dropping a lot of money on poor people can change the world. A million worlds, actually. We need to get started. Sarah McLachlan is on the right track, and is bringing us along. Imagine if every singer did that for 1 video clip. Imagine if we managed to cut waste in so many areas and donate the money. The possibilities are endless.

Planners 1, Searchers 0. Bill Easterly, go f*ck yourself.

Check out the 'World on Fire' website (that's the title of the song, btw).

CHARITY	FOR	AMOUNT
Carolina for Kibera	• 12 room clinic and land deeds • Medicine for 5000 people for 6 months in Nairobi Kenya	• $22,500 • $7,500
Comic Relief	• Running street children’s hospital in India for a year … Feeding 10 street children in Calcutta 3 meals daily for 1 year • Schooling for 100 street children in Tanzania • Education for 200 students in Ethiopia	• $11,050 • $3,000 • $2,500 • $400
CARE USA	• Building of 6 wells in S.E Asia, Latin America & Africa • Helping 100 widows to develop income generating activities in Afghanistan • Sending 145 girls to school for one year in Afghanistan • Equipping 10 classrooms in Afghanistan • Training 10 teachers in Afghanistan	• $10,200 • $5,400 • $5,000 • $480 • $400
DORCAS	• Total running costs of orphanage in South Africa • Improving the lives of 10 elderly people in Eastern Europe	• $16,500 • $3,500
Engineers Without Borders - Canada	• To purchase and implement a Multi-Function Platform in Ghana • Christy Yaa: scholarships • Nana Yaa: scholarships	• $15,000 • $1,000 • $1,000
Help the Aged	• Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) vehicle providing medical treatments	• $15,000
Film Aid	• Entertainment & escapism for refugees	• $9,500
War Child	• 70 former child soldiers to receive schooling & psychosocial support • 7 young people in Sierra Leone to receive job training • Education, shelter & food for orphans in Ethiopia	• $3,500 • $1,500 • $500
Heifer International	• 1 heifer, 2 goats, 1 buffalo • 2 sheep, 4 goats, 2 llamas and 1 heifer • A pig • Chicks • Ducks	• $1,000 • $1,500 • $120 • $20 • $20 • $20
ITDG	• Scheme which would allow 300 families to remove smoke from their homes • 10 smoke hoods • 5 bicycle ambulances • Nuts & bolts to secure houses of monsoon victims • Sudanese irrigation	• $1,925 • $250 • $1,300 • $500 • $1025
Action Aid	• To aid and implement programs in Khlaipathar village, Orissa, India to encourage families to be able to stay together • 5000lbs potato seeds for planting vegetable gardens	• $5000 • $160
	TOTAL	$148,270