Wouldn't it be great to buy some tsunami survivors a boat? [View All]

I'm serious. I heard this story on the BBC last night and they showed how fishing boats were just pushed and smashed up into the middle of town. They said extended families were making the hard choice about where their kids should live and some opted for orphanages because without their boats they couldn't make a living. Like so many stories coming out of this tragedy, this is heartbreaking.

I'm a big fan of charities which are structured around specific goals. One of these is Free the Children which builds schools in impoverished areas as a way to reduce child labor and abuse. This idea is similar and I think it helps make sure that what you donate gets to somewhere where it has impact (and doesn't wind up being a no interest home loan for some executive at United Way, etc.).

If anyone has heard of a charity which is specifically interested in getting new boats or in repairing boats in the region, please let me know.