I looked at the websites of the six charities that I had emailed.
Everything on most of the websites is about hungry, ill and poverty-stricken children. There is a lot about disaster and poverty on each website.
I know that they want people to help but the imagery that they are using only adds to the stereotypes and perception that all Africa needs is help from the West and that they are all poor and needy.
This is not true! Yet, there is nothing to tell us otherwise. Everywhere we look we are bombarded with the same message - that we need to give money to help African Children.
On Tearfund's website (http://www.tearfund.org/) they have a few success stories visible for people to clearly see and read. They are from people who have been helped by one of the Tearfund projects.
The Compasison website (http://www.compassionuk.org/) also has more positive imagery to be seen and doesn't only show poverty and disaster. The immediate feeling you get from the site is quite warm I think, the imagery is of happy children. And although there are things on there to try and encourage you to sponsor a child or donate money, they are not what catches the eye straight away.
