Child risks death for bicycle - 80% burns

[CrazyFig]

Hey,

Not sure how many of you read this, but what a sad story. My son is 2 years old and the things he does without thinking for his toys...shame man, I totally understand.

If you read the story below you will see this family has nothing, literally. Michael has 82% burns and is on a ventilator. Now I wanted to help and make a monetary donation and I see they have a SMS number with each SMS getting R10. They also gave bank details for a bigger deposit, but the bank account is in another person name and you have to add a reference of "Michael" for the donation. Someone on the Facebook page added a comment that they tried to make a donation but it says the account is dormant.

I'm really worried about these SMS donations or making a payment into someone else's account and then they hand the money over as you never know what goes on behind the scenes. Any idea how to verifiy the SMS number for a start, is it really setup for donations for the family? The bank payment...well, I guess you have to have a little faith.

Thinking about doing a bank payment as R10 aint much. I'm on end of the month salty crack snacks already but this family needs the cash more than I do as I can make a plan and get by. Just worried they go off with peoples cash, man this is so frustrating

Pretoria - A 12-year-old Pretoria boy is fighting for his life after he rushed into a burning house to save his new bicycle.

Beeld reported that Michael van Vuuren sustained 82% burn wounds and was on a ventilator after the wooden house in which he lived with his parents in the back yard of another house in Silverton, Pretoria, caught fire.

Michael’s mom, Rina van Vuuren, woke up on Sunday morning and saw flames in the house.

She carried Michael outside and went back to get her husband Johan, who had had a stroke a few years ago.

But Michael ran back to get the new bicycle his sister had given him for his birthday. His mother again ran back to rescue him and kept him awake until emergency services arrived.

Full story: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...-bike-20120717

EDIT: Cycling community helping out too: http://www.thehubsa.co.za/forum/topi...-for-new-bike/

[CrazyFig]

I see some people are saying dont deposit money cos no one is really sure where the money is going. Hmmm...little more concerned now about making a money donation. Will see if I can help pay their medical bills or something. Wish I could help

[Segg]

Jeeze, as sad as I find these situations, I really get irritated that you will die if you don't have the money for medical help, or the means to fund-raise.

[Hemi300c]

This is very sad. Any further info on donations?

[STS]

You get crooks that will take advantage of any situation. Rather find their contact details and ask if it is real. I cannot see them not owning a bank account

[MickZA]

re SMS donations.

A couple of years back one of the presenters on SAFM ran the comrades and you could contribute to a school she was sponsoring with R10.00 SMS's.

After the event she hit the roof on air when she discovered how little of each R10 finished up in the schools coffers, IIRC over R7.00 went to "admin" charges. It seems the OUTA campaign has also discovered this and stopped their SMS contribution drive.

Maybe the MyBB staff writers could investigate and see how this "scam" is justified.

[CrazyFig]

Saw an similar thing about the R10 SMS where most of it was not even going to the charity. Thats what I worry about here. On the FB page is a number (not the family as their phones were destroyed in the fire), think I will contact them.

[cbrunsdonza]

re SMS donations.

A couple of years back one of the presenters on SAFM ran the comrades and you could contribute to a school she was sponsoring with R10.00 SMS's.

After the event she hit the roof on air when she discovered how little of each R10 finished up in the schools coffers, IIRC over R7.00 went to "admin" charges. It seems the OUTA campaign has also discovered this and stopped their SMS contribution drive.

Maybe the MyBB staff writers could investigate and see how this "scam" is justified.

I worked for a WASP for 5 years and its not a scam and on R10 your looking at R4 in funds been handed over - 50% is for the network, 10% is WASP fees (they have staff and infrastructure in place) and the remainder is for the client.

Anybody involved in raising money for charities will tell you that there is a high costs asscoiated with these mircro transactions. And for many charities SMS premium numbers is a new means to raise funds, not to replaces existing means. I do doubt the OUTA campaign was not aware of this as the industry is very open about payment ratio to the client, they have to.

Do I agree with the low percentage given to the charity, no, but do look at it from a different angle and remember its your choice.

[MickZA]

I worked for a WASP for 5 years and its not a scam and on R10 your looking at R4 in funds been handed over - 50% is for the network, 10% is WASP fees (they have staff and infrastructure in place) and the remainder is for the client

Are these fixed percentages or would the 40% going to the charity in your example be greater if one was donating R50.00?

[cbrunsdonza]

Are these fixed percentages or would the 40% going to the charity in your example be greater if one was donating R50.00?

Not fixed but its a good indication. The different value have different payouts but the networks get 45-55% (various from network and price-band) and the WASP would take 10% to cover their expenses. A charity would get about 40% for low volume and a high volume would get about 45% - a charity would need to get a 100K plus incoming messages to qualify for such a high payout.

[MickZA]

Do I agree with the low percentage given to the charity, no.

... and I concur, charities only getting R45 from a R100 SMS donation just seems wrong (don't know if that's a valid amount but you get the idea)

[CrazyFig]

... and I concur, charities only getting R45 from a R100 SMS donation just seems wrong (don't know if that's a valid amount but you get the idea)

Couldnt agree more...not right!

[killadoob]

... and I concur, charities only getting R45 from a R100 SMS donation just seems wrong (don't know if that's a valid amount but you get the idea)

Money making scam in my opinion, that is out right robbery but welcome to SA.

This story sounds a bit Nigerianish.

[cbrunsdonza]

Money making scam in my opinion, that is out right robbery but welcome to SA.

This story sounds a bit Nigerianish.

Not just limited to South Africa - its the general payment model used by most networks

[CrazyFig]

Still no reply to my communications to them. Thats really kuk...just re-affirms my initial suspicions...