WITH regard to the recent problems concerning aid agencies and sex abuse, one of the excuses regularly thrown up is that these organisations hire local labour that cannot easily be checked.

So hire women. I know that it is not unheard of for women to be involved in abuse, but the incidences are about a hundred times less. The women in crisis areas are the ones most in need of funds and they will soon organise child care among themselves as required. Many sectors of labour are dominated by men, so redress the balance – aid organisations could be heavily biased towards women on the simple basis that they would be better at it.

While on the subject of charities, if you are planning to donate why not check out the salaries of the top directors – if anyone earns more than a £100,000, rule that one out. For years we’ve been fed the drivel (perpetuated by overpaid bankers) that in order to get “the right people” you have to pay obscene amounts of money. If people care enough to donate, perhaps they might take a little time to mail the recipients with some constructive criticism – many of them desperately need it.

Marc A Head
Isle of Arran