Some of you will remember me speaking about my friend, Colin, who owns a gay guest house in Puerto Viejo. Well this week we were chatting and he told me about an email he received this week from an organization in the United States. It’s a home for children.

They were looking for Colin to donate a few nights — or a week — for free so the organization could auction it off on eBay.

Colin’s response was kind of surprising to me. He told the guy:

I am very surprised that you would be marketing to "developing countries" for donations to your charities.  I can assure you that if you have travelled to one, you’ll realize that our first priority here is to help our own communities here rather than donate our meager resources to the richest country in the world that refuses to pay enough taxes to finace education and heath care for it’s citizens that are most in need.

If you have any extra funds, there is a project here called The Bridge is in desperate need for the native children of this area.  This is where I currently direct my resources.  I hope you understand my position.

I do realize that this is a charity trying their hardest to raise funds for their own group. Certainly the shortcomings of the US government aren’t their fault (directly). But Colin does have a good point. Any thoughts out there on other possible responses? Do you think Colin was right?