Saturday, July 16, 2005 7:30 PM
Apparently there is a big hoo-ha going on about NKF (National Kidney Foundation) in Singapore at the moment. I can understand why. There are just so many contradictions in the way their system works which makes people question their integrity.
One thing I juz dont understand is why is there a need for big prizes such as condominiums and luxury cars just to lure people into donating to their association? All these things cost money as well, and these money could have gone to those kidney failure sufferers instead of normal people like you and me.
By doing so, the association is appealing to the people’s greed, and these people are blinded by how wonderful the prize is and end up donating without knowing the actual meaning of it. If we people want to donate money, we ought to do so out of our own free will, and not be lured by all those expensive, materialistic wants. Isn’t that what volunteerism is all about?
By putting in prizes as the abovementioned, all this donation would be no different from a lucky draw in a shopping mall, where people spend and spend just for the sake of winning the grand prize.
Not to mention the NKF charity shows that grace our television screens once every year. For the uninitiated, I shall provide a basic background on what these shows are about. Local television artistes put up performances and daredevil stunts on these shows, while people all around Singapore have the choice of calling into a certain hotline where they are able to donate a fixed amount of money.
Very clever, I must say. But it is the daredevil stunts that bothers me. You mean that these artistes have to risk their lives doing all these ridiculous stunts just to appeal to the people to donate to the association? Again, not an example of the true spirit of volunteerism.
Worse still, what if one of these daredevils fall and hurt their kidneys? Wow, one more patient to tend to. Yes, I know that in order for a charitable organization to gain publicity, you need to grab the people’s attention. But there certainly better ways of doing it without endangering the lives of people and squandering all their current funds on hideously expensive prizes. It just isn’t practical. In fact, it is just being plain aggressive.
But that is not the point. The big hoo-ha at the moment is the CEO of the NKF. The CEO gets a big salary amounting to more than 1 million within a few years and 10-12 month’s bonus. Hence, he lives such a luxurious life that he owns a hideously expensive gold plated tap and a luxury toilet bowl in his bathroom. And when he flies overseas, he travels on First Class.
As I read the newspapers, I see the whims and complaints of the people from lower-income families who still donated to NKF in the past despite struggling with their meagre pay. They put aside their comforts so that they can contribute their money to this organisation, thinking that they are helping the needy.
But the truth hit hard, as they discovered that most of their money was going to this overly-paid CEO that doesnt even need the money in the first place. An ordinary human being like you and me, with perfectly fine kidneys, and the donations are going to him?
Every Singaporean’s trust has been broken, and it would be a long time before NKF can win back our faith in them. This is just utterly disgusting.
Now the lighter side of it. Let's go for some laughs.
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The Big Hoo-Ha