Passion without Brain = ?

I have been in touch with some grassroot NGOs in China 3-4 years ago. Now I returned to Shanghai trying to build up capacity for some NGOs - once again, they shocked me with their inefficiency and randomness. China's NGOs face a lot of challenges here, especially lacking government support and talent supply.

Yesterday I was forwarded a proposal getting 2000EUR grant from a fund with an idea like this: The primary purpose is to improve the disadvantaged position of immigrant worker's kids in Shanghai. And the approach is to give cameras to 200 immigrant worker's kids, ask them to go take pictures, and then publish those pictures as books and hopefully to raise some awareness through selling the books.

To me, that sounds like the most illogical thing ever heard! How does that improve the bad situation of those kids? Is it a burning need to teach them how to use cameras?! Which capitalist (a.k.a. the rich) will want to symbolically buy those books in support of immigrant worker's kids? Wouldn't their money have a better use other than this?!

This example is merely a waste of money, nothing more than that. There can be projects with a good intension: e.g. clean water for villagers, but doesn't necessary generate a long-term sustaianble impact and probably destroy the layers of eath, etc.

These things frustrate me about the civil society in general. At such moments, I always feel happy that an organization like AIESEC is producing young leaders with passion and knowledge to make a difference, which is badly needed in this country though not necessarily welcomed by some authorities, needless to mention names here.

For me personally, I hope to grow my brain with BAIN. Then further my learning through studies and practices in unpreviliged parts of the world. The challenge is to maintain the passion while working for a caplitalism sturrer! :P