a.) granola bars - Delete. Nobody is gonna eat it.
b.) cotton sheets - Delete. People don't have beds why have cotton sheets. No they can't use them for the ground. They will get soaked and yet and give the kids the cold or the flu.
c.) 1.5 litre water bottles - Delete. Army and NGOs here are saying its not feasible to transport water to the affected areas.
d.) juice boxes (with straws please; without them it's just an unmanageable mess) - Nope. Get the 1 liter kind. The straws and stuff will not be manageable.
e.) salty biscuits
f.) sweet biscuits
g.) chocolate (it's good energy, easy to feed to children, makes them happy) Delete. It will melt and be a mess. Ice doesn't stay as ice for more than 10 minutes these days.
h.) miilk (boxed or long lasting)
i.) potato chips
j.) soap
k.) dates
l.) ORS (or the equivalent) (glucose)
m.) disposable glasses
n.) salt
o.) sugar
p.) tea
q.) Oil
Kindly make sure the food is far from it's expiry date. Make sure it is Halal and does not require extra cooking.
oh I also purchased energy drinks like boost or ensure. I remember my dadi in Pakistan had them all the time, and they were so pricey in Pakistan, so we got them from here for her.
Okay I am just gonna be a dick now. And I apologize for this before hand.
What you want in your packages is not stuff you guys use on a day to day basis. What the hell is a child gonna do with an energy drink when they don't have basic food. IDP camps are crowded slums. They need basic necessities. Nothing that is a luxury.
Please don't be another damn US military support package where they offered canned foods to a community that has never seen a can opener let alone has one.
Think basic. Think your childhood in Pakistan. What did you do? No you didn't have energy drinks. You had water and juice. You had some cookies with tea. Your food was so oily the Italian mobs used it as gel.
I am not aiming to diminish your efforts which are commendable. But people think very basic. The average Pakistani lives in a brick house with mud and cement. They live out in the field. They use out houses instead of the royal flush. Or they don't use an out house at all.
someone acutally told me abuot these items, which is why i mentioned it.
the reason why canned fruit was mentioned is because of the lack of fresh and ripen fruit. and the type of canned fruit does not need to be open with a can opener...but it is like a lid (think of those delmonte fruit cups things). It will be difficult to send fresh fruit and veggies because they will spoil.
the energy drinks/bars are needed because they need their full nutrional requirement. If you had eaten properly for days, or if your child hasnt, woudlnt you want to keep them nourished? Same thing with the baby formula/cereal. Wouldn't you want your infant to be fed properly? If I was one of the victims and if I had a chance to improve the feeding conditions of my child, I will gladly take it.
and the dry fruit, nuts, biscuits - yes they do it in Pakistan.
Every little bit helps. Just because people live in villages, it doesnt mean we should treat them as "slumdogs". If the same issue happened here in the west, I would give the same items.
Muzna, I had donated a car full of food items to the Qidwai Foundation. They had a food drive this weekend, in which they picked up the items from my home.
The lady in charge of it is Uzma Qidwai. She is based in Mississauga. Check out their Facebook group. She mentioned these items to me over the phone.
^
same here i donated the same items to a lady in scarborough,along with cloths for kids and ladies.every one is asking for diff things.but i found fakhir's video list more easy and easy to handle for PIA.
so it was for a different food drive....I can't imagine these items going into a LifeBox because people would not have the tools necessary to even open the cans where these boxes are going. the canned goods are probably headed for the camps.
and while the intention is good.....children are fussy.....they won't consume protein bars and drinks that taste "different"
as CM says.....stick to what they know.....there may be better options but they can get to those at camps etc.
let's stay focused......nobody is criticizing anyone's choices or intentions here.....we are just trying to be practical and efficient.
i am wondering, if all those items listed need to be in a life box.
What if i make a few changes? (keeping in mind that it has to be cooked and that they done have can openers or forks and spoons etc)
and i was thinking the same thing about milk! that it might not be a good idea due to the weather conditions!