Band 5+: Rich countries often give money to poorer countries, but it does not solve poverty. Therefore, developed countries should give other types of help to the poor countries rather than financial aid. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

I agree with the statement that developed countries should give other types of help to the poor countries rather than financial aid. I am personally of the opinion that help, specifically in the form of money, can be beneficial to the country for a short period of time, but will likely lead to more dept. Take Greece for example. Greece is a beautiful country with many culturally significant land marks that I have had the priviledge of visiting a few times, yet, it has had many struggles over the last decade with unemployment and money. I am aware that many governments of rich countries in Europe, such as the Netherlands, have given Greece financial aid in the past. While I am sure this has helped in some way or another, Greece still has a crippeling dept, which makes me wonder how much it did do something for them. Helping in another way, might be more effective. I have had a magnificent experience volunteering in Georgia, the country, with my school. We helped to renovate classrooms in a youth shelter while communicating to the locals about our progress and their desires. Instead of doing the work for them, we lended them a hand in something that needed to be done but they did not have the means for. I think this approach would also be helpful on a larger skill. Donating, while in some cases effective, can also lead to too much freedom of spending for a country and often leads to the corruption of government officials who keep the money for themselves. If we were to guide them out of their financial issues, to take them by the hand and show them the way instead of leaving them behind to fend for themselves, this could be better in the long run. Not only do they receive help at the moment, but if they were to derail again, they would have the knowledge and to solve their issues. Besides, they would also be able to aid others who have similar issues along the way. Therefore, I would suggest either providing a plan to get them along or providing materials instead of money, eventually creating a domino effect. This way, with a little hope and encouragement we would not only solve the poverty in one country but many countries.