This isn’t addressing your point and I’m not saying your doing this, but, as I’ve told people here and elsewhere about my idea, it’s interesting how readily the

This isn’t addressing your point and I’m not saying your doing this, but, as I’ve told people here and elsewhere about my idea, it’s interesting how readily they come up with criticisms. I guess this is the classic reaction to cash transfers, but it’s still interesting to see it in action. I wonder how much of it is just people finding excuses not to be generous. I’m a pretty generous person in general, but it’s amazing how much my heart has opened upon having a personal connection to people in such need. Right now I’m not only giving as much as I can, but I’m looking for ways to earn more so I can give more. That personal connection and everything that flows from it is, I think, the unique benefit of this approach. As for finding people via Olx, I should be clear (as I think I stated in another comment), I’m not putting up a post saying that I’m looking to give money away to those in need. That would just make me a target. Instead, I go through various sections of the site and contact posters that seem like they might be on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum. Given this approach and given the scale I’m doing this on, there’s basically zero chance that I’m sending money to someone that set out to scam me. I’d actually be more leery of a system like you mentioned with The Gambian newspaper, because it has the potential to attract scammers. There’s some chance that folks may be exaggerating their need to receive more money than I’d otherwise give them, but I talk to my recipients extensively and form very real, meaningful and lasting relationships with them and, in the process, collect a lot of what you could call “collateral evidence” (like photos), so I end with what I really think is a very accurate picture of their lives. Moreover, if this type of exaggeration is happening it’s netting people something on the order of tens of dollars. Both through correlating what different recipients have told me and through independent research, I’ve got a good sense of what the cost of living is there and what is and isn’t a reasonable amount of money. So if someone says they need $310 a month (the most I send anyone) to support their family when they really need $300, it really matter doesn’t matter, and I don’t care.