
Ask HN: As a dev/sysadmin, what can I do help refugees in Europe? - Mojah
This is a very heavy topic, but let me get more specific: every night when you turn on the TV news in Europe, it shows pictures of refugees trying to flee their country.<p>It shows kids drowning in the sea. It shows women and elderly people having to sleep outside, without food or shelter, because they&#x27;re trying to get away from a warzone. These are incredibly confronting images.<p>And every night these images are shown. Every night I keep wondering what I, as a limited human being with limited resources, can do to help these people.<p>I don&#x27;t feel like making a 50$ donation to the Red Cross would have the impact I&#x27;m hoping for. As a developer or a sysadmin (or anyone in IT, for that matter), what&#x27;s the most efficient use of my time to help those people?<p>Fundraisers? I think the world has become immune to these kind of events, they don&#x27;t pay of. Monthly donations? I feel that my contribution just isn&#x27;t worth it.<p>What can I do to <i>really</i> make a difference?
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MarkCole
I've always thought there needs to be more "for-profit" charities like
TOMS[0]. The premise of TOMS was originally they sold shoes, and for every
pair that was bought they'd donate a second pair to someone else.

In my opinion this would be a much better and more efficient way for charities
to acquire money. Just needs businesses with the right model, and
entrepereneurs with the desire to do this.

As for what you could do personally, unless you're up for changing your whole
life and starting a company there are a few other options. You could maybe
organise some way to give a local refugee home internet access (loaned laptops
from somewhere with supervised use? wifi?). Refugee Families are often split
up, and having a way to contact their family to let them know they are safe
would mean the world to a lot of people.

[0] -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toms_Shoes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toms_Shoes)

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a3n
Honestly, the most immediate effect you could have is to donate cash, food or
clothing. Because those are real, immediate needs. So find some way to do that
effectively (as possible, anyway). The closer you physically are the more of
your donation is likely to make it to where it's needed.

Backing away from immediate needs, some suggestions:

    
    
      - Work for a relevant NGO that needs your skills.
      - Work for a relevant government agency that needs your skills.
      - Work to eliminate the need to get on a smuggler's boat to make the first crossing.
      - Work to make the land crossing safer and more predictable.
    

Those last two are obviously impossible for you, who works as a system
administrator. So if you're a relevant constituent in one of the relevant
countries, contact your representative or whatever you call it there, and
politely hold their feet to the fire.

