So this thing called drought has happened. Is still happening. Fortunately, people want to help. Our Aussie culture of helping our mates remains strong. People in urban centres, unconnected directly to the drought are keen to give, to support, to relieve the pain, to take off the pressure caused by this relentless, long-term, natural disaster. Philanthropists and governments at all levels want to help.
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But in giving help there arise many questions. Is it best to focus on the short term or long term, give moral support or an economic injection? Is it only the ‘farmers’ or ‘graziers’ who need help? If the drought is only going to happen again, why should we do anything?
I guess rural readers already know many of these answers, however I urge you to spread the word of how to help best to your circle of influence. Include as many urban dwellers and decision-makers within your reach with this information. Cut and send this info to people you know who would like to help but may not be sure where to start.
How to help us best beat this drought, sustain ourselves and our communities and prepare for the next. Here are seven suggestions for kind-hearted people.
1. Come and visit. Bring your friends and enjoy our amazing outback. It may not have rained for a while, but there is so much to see and do and friendly, outback hospitality still exists! You will be providing both moral and economic support.
2. Donate thoughtfully. If you’d like to donate your hard-earned dollars to a worthwhile cause, choose organisations who are thinking about short and long-term strategies, moral and economic support, ie Rotary Clubs or the Western Queensland Drought Appeal (WQDA). I have seen first-hand the way the Longreach Rotary Club has undertaken training, studied and considered good practice in building resilience and providing disaster relief support, planned and then acted on this learning. I have also been impressed by the way the WQDA have community and social workers, ministers and counsellors advising of the needs they are seeing out there.
3. Host a fundraiser in your community and use the funds raised to either buy giftcards from local businesses in drought-affected areas or give to the organisations above or to an organisation like the Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network (QRRRWN) who help build supportive networks and facilitate the training and upskilling of women.
4. Attend or donate a raffle prize to a drought fundraiser where the funds raised go towards short and long-term strategies to build resilience in rural areas, ie QRRRWN’s Hat’s off to Women debate in Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre on the 1st of June, which is raising funds to support women and communities in rural, regional and remote areas across Queensland.
5. Support training and education of our young people by donating directly to local schools or visiting to help out at a local school.
6. Help us lobby to get workable and useable internet so that there is the option in rural areas to develop new businesses and access education for re-training and upskilling. Check out the Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote Australia website or #BIRRR Facebook.
7. Help fellow big-hearted people think about the impacts and the possibilities of their generosity and guide them towards one of the above.
- Alison Mobbs, President of the Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network, Longreach