The Best In #SWEDOW 2010:
Woo-hoo! Maybe you thought I’d forgotten or decided to let it slide. But no. Here are the 2010 winners of what may very likely become an annual event here at Tales From the Hood: The Best in #SWEDOW:
Underneath your clothes: Steve takes home the gold in this category with his winning entry: Knickers 4 Africa. This cutting-edge charity from the land that gave us Led Zeppelin and Oxfam will deliver your gently used knickers (er… “panties” for American readers) – no thongs, please – to a knicker-less woman in the country of “Africa.”
It’s All About the Children: Maureen takes the gold in this category with a #SWEDOW classic: Little Dresses for Africa. Got some used pillow cases? Wash the drool out and then turn those bad boys into – you guessed it – little dresses for Africa.
(Very honorable mention in this category goes to “d” who makes a strong showing with Teddies For Tragedies, Puppets for Orphans, and another #SWEDOW classic: Global Soap. Go “d”!)
#AidFootFetish. I must say that I was suprised and a tiny bit disappointed in the overall lack of competition in this category. Nonetheless, I am very pleased to award the gold to “AD” for the ever controversial Soles 4 Souls. You know, ’cause they’re totally running out of made-in-China flip-flops… er.. somewhere.
Out of Africa: Martin cleans house in this category by drawing our attention to an attempted fiasco involving 100,000 servings of organic baby food for Pakistan. Despite a great deal of irate-ness in – uh – New Zealand (few things are more dangerous than a bunch of riled up Kiwis), both UNICEF and the Red Cross had the good sense to leave this one at the table.
GRAND PRIZE: And the winner of the 2010 Best in #SWEDOW is…
AD for The Breast Milk Project. I think this is the first time I’m hearing of biological #SWEDOW. Might have to add that as a category next year
As previously announced, all prizes will be provided from @meowtree’s personal #SWEDOW collection. Winners, please post your post/mailing details in the comments thread or send to me at talesfromethehood(at)gmail(dot)com.
Thank you to everyone who entered. Hope to see you all again next year!
Could someone more knowledgeable that me post details on why each of these organizations is ineffective/harmful? Thanks.
Wow, thank you so much J. and the other judges! What a wonderful honor to have nominated the best (ahem, worst)#SWEDOW organization in 2010. Many thanks also for the Foot Fetish Award. I never imagined that The Breast Milk Project would move #SWEDOW into new territory, but look forward to the biological category in years to come.
Aren’t we just little bit too smug? Why not including a category of honestly good things to send? I know of a program just financing SWEDOW projects, but at least 10 % of the projects send cost-effective, useful things.
My math’s terrible, but I think you just asked me to honorably mention an org/project that is 90% *not* cost-effective, *not* useful…
No, I would like you to acknowledge that there is Stuff We Don’t Want, that can be put to very good use in a cost-effective and efficient way in the 3rd world. By creating a negative political correctness on swedow, you will be stopping also the one project in 1000 where this is the best answer.
I agree that 99 % of the swedow is also stedow (stuff they don’t want). But to allow for effectiveness, you should also allow for the 1 % to happen. Creating a “kill them all” environment wont work. It is the same strategy that caused the problem in the first place: political correctness based on conventional wisdom. It keeps the cycle of fads in motion.
I see this will not work without an example. Old dentist chairs are swedow. However, in some areas in the third world they can be a godsend: the new ones are just not affordable (notice all the “some”and “can”). Of course, if the market would be perfect, the market would organize the transport more effectively than whatever project can do.
Once again, I agree that Sedow must stop being business as usual asap, and support your campaign. I only argue for some modesty.
It would be better to kill the 10% in order to get rid of the 90% than it would be to keep the 90% for the 10%. Frankly.
I know it’s a bit late but I wish I had discovered this piece of SWEDOW earlier….it might be the worst EVER.
Enjoy