I would love to see a little more humility in all of this from you. This is not about shirts, it is not about Africa… but most importantly, it is not about you.

You feel attacked and I understand that. But after several days of reading all sides of the argument on many forums and blogs (I don’t use twitter), I don’t feel that the majority of people are attacking you – only that the few that are have much louder voices.

The majority of people that have taken the time to contact you are experts in their field and have been through the politics, the agendas, the pitfalls WHILE they have been working overseas.

It may be interesting to you that your project has now become an assignment for our University’s International Community Development Course and this is how I have come to learn about your project. Both your project’s goals and the storm that has followed has taught us how people’s intentions can often cause more harm than good.

I live in Australia and work for a children’s NGO in Indonesia. We have a whole room of clothes that are going mouldy right now. I’m sure they were given for the right reasons but they were not asked for and there is nobody to sort and distribute them (plus nobody seems to want them). After the Bali bombings, so many donations were expensively shipped from Western countries that simply were not needed. What was needed was cash – cash to keep the economy going, cash to help the shopkeeper’s shops open.

The voices of your snarky opponents may be loud but so are those from your bleeding heart advocates. You focus on ane comment about a “slow death”, instead of the many, many comments that are showing you a better way. I’m not sure your skin is as ‘tough’ as you may think.

Maybe now could be the time to close your ears to it all and start to just quietly see what is really happening here…. and gently make some changes that will fit with what you want to do withi the guidelines of what you have been able to learn

It is going to take courage and confidence to let go of your ego for a bit… but I believe that you have been blessed with the most wonderful opportunity to learn and grow. I only wish I could have had so much public help on my own journey in learning about these ideas. Learning (and failing) alone is a lot worse.

I am very mixed on whether or not I feel sorry for you (for all the criticism), or envious at the learning curve you have been given. I know I am definitely jealous of your support!

Either way I really hope this will have a productive ending and I hope you can see what the numerous experts have clearly explained.

Best wishes,

Amy

Also, completely unrelated to the 1million shirts debate, I wanted to say how fantastic your photographs are. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of camera do you use? (not that a good camera automatically = great pics……you clearly have a really good eye!)