JR8 wrote: Eau, you asked if that charity is run by friends and have I visited the village. The answer is no and no. I saw the name of the charity on signboards as we drove through the countryside around Siem Reap. In one village there might be two wells and one might read say 'Donated by John and Amy Walker, Sydney Australia' with the Aussie and Cbn flags on, then the next 'Donated by the Cronkite family, New York, USA'... and so on. The benefits of these wells are so tangible and clear to see. And the self-propogating nature of the works is inspired. I'm not in the habit of throwing my money around for some fake feel-good glow, so rest assured I was thoroughly persuaded of the case
How do you pick charities worth supporting? Look at the people who are running them. Look at their mission statement. Look at the people who are patrons, and significant supporters. Look at their accounts. With Sustainable Cambodia, their overheads are miniscule, something like 5% or less.
SMS, I too take a rather jaundiced view with regards to much 'charity' (or perhaps to the concept of what is regarded as charity). Maybe another one of my pet peeves

For me true charity is giving of yourself, rather than giving with the expectation of any kind of return (PR, headlines, that 'warm glow', to boast to your friends). Giving time is good when you can afford it and that time is correctly applied. Not everyone always has time available on tap and so I wouldn't dismiss cash donations out of hand as a form of vanity exercise though. In fact volunteers who have time generally create overheads, and it is cash donations that fund that too...
You Cambodia village sounds really good. I will take a close look to see if I can do something, through donate or village gift programme.
I read the situation of the children in Cambodia is bad (mortaliy under 5 years old ranked 36th in the world, the highest in the region).
JR8, thanks, you opened a new door to me. That is exactly what we need, through word of mouth propaganda,

otherwise I really don't know which I should trust, just see the huge "donate" in every website of charity programmes and projects.

Hey, see, you again did something good unconsciously.
For individuals I think donating time or money is doing theirselves a good, we get much, we should also give to people who need it.

That's what I think about charity work and donation. "Return" does not exist in my life dictionary.
