In similar vein here is a post that I spotted on another site earlier:-
The mistake many Europeans make when working in the third world is to assume brownie points are awarded for helping the country, particularly if the work is charity based. I was involved in a project installing used computers into school which had been donated from overseas. Firstly it was insisted that a hefty import duty be levied on these gifts and this was only the first stumbling block. Some of the items had to be used as bribes just to gain access to the intended recipients and ten of the items were blatantly taken by officials. Nine months later when follow ups were made at the recipient sites no trace was left of any computers.
Yes ... I can attest to that sort of thing, having seen something like that myself on a number of occasions (like when the contents of my suitcase was looted before my very eyes whilst passing through "Customs" in [censored], and being relived of "shiny tools" at a "police checkpoint" in the middle of [censored]), and having heard of many other similar stories from others.
Are we mugs, us generous Westerners ... ?
Yes, on balance, I believe that we are. You see, "out there" tolerance is generally mistaken for weakness. Tolerance? When you are "out there" in person, what other choice do you have? After all, if you dare to object ... chances are you'd be off to jail (or worse). Been there, done that ... not nice at all.
If any "good" has come out of all the OTT "images" we have been subjected to (from North Africa) recently, perhaps it is that they have served to remind folk in the "European Comfort Zone" what the conditions of life (and death) actually are in many "other" parts of the world.
Tunbridge Wells, it ain't.
