I've been supporting Unicef since 2004. At first I gave 10 euros a month, but for some years now 20. My money is directed to supporting girls' education in Nepal. It costs 12 euros to pay for one girl to school for one year, so I alone am putting 20 Nepalese girsl to shcool every year. Feels good.

Today Unicef called and said that the financial crisis is really hitting developing countries badly, and at the same time people in developed countries are reducing payments because of the tough situation. They asked for more money. My first reaction was "no way". I have a family to support with uncertain working conditions, a very expensive teenager,  a house needing repair with a killer mortgage blah blah.... Then she said something that stopped me: "with just one euro I could pay for 100 water purifying tablets, each cleaning 4-5 liters of drinking water for children." Or, I could get pencils and notebooks for 10 students. With just one euro.

With 10 euros I could pay for a polio vaccine for 10 children, with 12 euros I could educate one more girl for a whole year, 80 euros would by a measles vaccine for 80 children.

I felt awful.

I raised the monthly payment to 25 euros. I can afford it.