Hello Nairalanders,

At the beginning of a 2 week leave from work, a rich friend calls you aside and offers you $50,000 to spend on any good cause of your choice.

You're free to spend the $50,000 as you wish during your leave under the following conditions:
1) You must spend it on a good cause that somehow "makes the world a better place".
2) You musn't spend it directly or indirectly to favor yourself or people you know.

How would you spend the $50,000 dollars?

Thanks in advance for your response!

$50,000 is about 7.25 million naira only

NaijaRyders have given so many suggestions already:
http://www.naijaryders.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=138074

I would go to Gombe state Nigeria, build a BIG hospital there, to take care of all those almajiri's on the street. If u can pay, u pay, if you can't pay, well u get free treatment.

I'll just do something to help poor kids.

$50,000 is probably not enough to build a hospital and employ doctors, but it's a good thought.

I'll just do something to help poor kids.

Let's go into the specifics. Poor kids where? And what exactly would you buy to help poor kids? What would be the critirium for selection of the specific kids you'll help? Details! Tommorrow you might find yourself with the money.

As for me, I might collect a list of the online articlesthat promote certain important social values and then run a really aggressive Google Adwords campaign to get millions of people to read them during the 2 week period. For instance, I might write articles about various businesses that can be set up in Africa to make money and at the same time help millions and then use the money to push the articles to potential investors with more than just $50,000.

Seun:

Let's go into the specifics. Poor kids where? And what exactly would you buy to help poor kids? What would be the critirium for selection of the specific kids you'll help? Details! Tommorrow you might find yourself with the money.

Uhmm, by poor kids, i don't mean i'll go into every home and find the kids. There are so many kids walking on the street begging for food and ish. Just build a 'home' for them, and a school.

A school where they get free education, and free school uniforms. And after that they go to the hostels (home?).

Just something to help them, u know?

2cantango is a humanitarian, so I hope she'll contribute. Thanks, hot-angel.

I was actually waiting for chinani's response.

And eastcoast, she'll prolly do something to help women.

ANyways, i await more responses.

But u know something, Truth be truely told, I would open a beauty salon/fashion centre. A beauty school maybe? Something that has to do with beauty. lol, ANyways, lotsa ideas dancing arround my head now.

I'm waiting for chinani too -- she might give me an idea or two.

So I'd start the South EasternNigeria Education Coalition. My, excuse me, this coalition would be run by a committee of 6 with no less than 3 people on the committee would be women. The Coalition would spend $10,000 improving 8 boys & girls schools in the South East. The improvements would be mainly improving the campus and installing new (backup) generators though the girls schools lamposts would be built. The lampposts would be run on a new generation and would turn on at 5am. This way when girls go to fetch water and others walk to school they do not have to fear rape which is not uncommon in this circumstance. Mind you, the $10,000 would be spent on materials and shipping alone, not labor. Why? Because I would organize the youth (students) to help build and improve. It would work like Habitat for Humanity where professional volunteers are brought in and they delegate the workers, even training a few to do the serious work. I'd have the girls & boys working together so that they'd learn and foster a mutual respect. I'd also invite the community. All this should reduce rapes I think, however little, it'll help.

I'd spend another $10,000 creating real libraries in this school. I want these students to learn to read and write on the WESTERN (read: American & British standard). Why? Because studying abroad depends on it. There are so many opportunities for Nigerians to become international students but only the rich ever benefit. Yes, this is a financial practicality but it's also b/c they go to the BESTS SCHOOLS. Most of the the Nigerian students who were international students at my college went to "THE BEST ENGINEERING H- S-" in Lagos or Abuja or Ibadan. And yes, they were mostly -- all but what, 10? --- Yoruba. Building up a competitive science and math curriculum will take more time and money than building up a strong literacy and liberal arts base. With this base they can do well on the SAT or ACT and go to school where ever.

I'd follow this up by hiring a teacher for $10,000. She/He would rotate between the 8 schools. For example, 2 weeks at school A discussing BEOWULF, then off to school B to discuss ROMEO & JULIET which the students were to have read & noted questions etc.

Then I'd use $10,000 to offer the top young lady a scholarship to the best University of her choice pending approval of the Uni by the committee. I'd like to know her future goals blah blah blah and would give her realistic advise and guidance t/out this period.

I'd use another $10,000 to create an endowment to make my changes sustainable. I don't want this to be a one time thing. I want to send more young ladies to school and do what I can for the young men. $10,000 is not much when it comes to starting an endowment so I'd have to make rich friends.

I feel I should say more, I want to improve the campuses b/c they're really in shambles. There's more mold & malaria inside than outside, feel me? I think that if you look good then you can feel good. Having a nice campus can be very uplifting. Talking to ppl who went to high school in the "hood" or "ghetto" before coming to my/our college campus comfirms this for me. These individuals always remark on how the environment can change the way they feel about themselves and their goals. If someone comes in and says "You work hard. Let me make you work area more comfortable or at least less hazardous" then you can continue working, and in times of frustration, know that you are appreciated and supported.

I'm speechless -- the applause I hear is deafening.

Here she is MISS AMERICA! Oh, wait, that was just the practice run, eh? But, really I've thought of this before. Don't get me wrong, I don't have any bread -- only crumbs -- but I know what I'd do w/ it. Unfortunately I don't think I'll ever get that much at once. An interesting question would be "What would you do w/ $5,000?" The amount's so small you'd have to make crucial decisions.

Now, Zahymaka, what are your ideas?

chinani, I'm impressed by your ideas for the South Eastern Nigeria. Did you live there for a long time? If you have a reasonable amount of money in the near future and you really want to make impact, you can just choose one particular village to implement all your ideas. That way, you'll make a really big difference to the lives of thee lucky few.

Most of my ideas will take more than $50,000 and 2 weeks, sadly. They will be better shared on another thread.

I'd like to start a small private prison house. A prison house for hardworking, non-violent or repentant prisoners or detainees with superior living conditions. The government only be required to release the prisoners to my custody. The prisoners (or detainees) will 'pay' for this housing by submitting to vocational training and various jobs that will be presented to them by me and my employees. They will be truly rehabilitated and I'll make money. Workable?

If my prison house is profitable, I will keep adding branches until 80% of Nigerian prisoners are under my care.

My decision might sound a bit corny.

I love reading -- so I'll get a library for myself. At this stage in life, where I'm working to pay my tuition you should guess where everything'd go.

Unfortunately, $50 000 is too little for my dream project. My dream project is to build a real, computer village -- a complete city somewhere in Nigeria with high security, it's own transport system and a school to train IT-interested citizens free of charge.

I'd hire professors from around the world and try to bring in investors. Unofrtunately, if I were to go into more detail than this, my post would be horribly long.

a school to train IT-interested citizens free of charge.

Training people free of charge ko, training people free of charge ni. If your training is worth spending time and transport money on, then it it worth paying for. Charge them and make money. Money is very good!

That's why it's a good cause. Maybe I'll train the first crop for free with a requirement that they spend five years with pay, teaching others.

Hey i thought of another thing.

I'd help Young girls that were raped. And young single mothers, like a training home. You learn to sow, cook, learn so many stuffs, it'll be like a three year course. And then you graduate. After graduation, you get a capital to start a business of your own.

@Seun
What type of prisoners? Would you accept men who were/are held w/o trials? Political prisoners? By nonviolent, do you mean thieves? Your idea is very interesting. Privation of prisons are a big business in the States. Of course, I love the vocational training part.

By non-violent, I mean those that are not likely to put my employees and fellow inmates at risk. Like convicted homosexuals, convicted naira abusers, prisoners of conscience or politics, white collar criminals, petty thieves, et cetera. All those people who could contribute significantly to our country instead of just rotting away in jail for crimes they may or may not have committed.

It's also important to serve detainees because some Nigerians spend many years just waiting for trial.

Give to Charity.

Z4, you need to be more specific. Which charity and why?

I'd give it to 'World Vision U.K' ---- To save the Millions of lives that starve each day, Help to develop the world, help to provide HealthCare, Shelter, food, Safe water. e.t.c.

hot-angel:
I'd help Young girls that were raped. And young single mothers, like a training home.

This is a thoughtful idea, hot-angel. And it can be started on a very small scale. Can you make it self-sustaining?

Las Vegas, here i come, No i've changed my mind coz i'm selfish and greedy.i can't afford to waste some of da dough on air ticket. Las is too far, West Virginia here i come. I'll play poker with da cash

i've changed my mind again. i'll go to hawaii in da summer and then the bahamas during thanksgiving.

No i've changed my mind yet again, i'll buy myself a hummer

l.o.l. You keep Changing your mind.  

Hey whatz wrong with me? i've changed my mind again, i'll donate da whole cash without even taking a penny for myself to 50 virginia public schools.

l.o.l

Nahhhhhhhhhh, i've changed my mind, why should i give da whole cash away? ok, i'll pay my tithe, donate to orphanages, and pay my college tuition. hwwwwwwwwwwhh a

ok folks, no more change of mind for me.

Eastcoast:

No i've changed my mind yet again, i'll buy myself a hummer

Best answer so far!
Reason: It is the only realistic answer given the amount of money - $50,000.