--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Charities are now working to give people…" description: "\"Charities are now working to give people in poor countries access to the Internet. But shouldn't we spend that money on providing health clinics and sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/ha-joon-chang-3497_access_charities-are-now-working-to-give-people_1790263.png" --- # Charities are now working to give people in poor countries… ![“Charities are now working to give people in poor countries access to the Internet. But shouldn't we spend that money on providing health clinics and safe water? Aren't these things more relevant? I have no intention of downplaying the importance of the Internet, but its impact has been exaggerated.” quote by Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/ha-joon-chang-3497_access_charities-are-now-working-to-give-people_1790263.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/ha-joon-chang-3497_access_charities-are-now-working-to-give-people_1790263.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/ha-joon-chang-3497_access_charities-are-now-working-to-give-people_1790263.png) > “Charities are now working to give people in poor countries access to the Internet. But shouldn't we spend that money on providing health clinics and safe water? Aren't these things more relevant? I have no intention of downplaying the importance of the Internet, but its impact has been exaggerated.” [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote questions the allocation of resources, suggesting that basic health and water needs may be more critical than expanding internet access in poor nations. **In simple terms:** Prioritize health and water over internet in poor areas. Key Takeaway Focus aid on essential services first. Themes resource allocation development health technology equity Mood concerned analytical Type policy critical When to use this quote - NGO budgeting - government aid programs - community health projects - infrastructure planning Key Concepts basic needs digital divide public policy Questions to Reflect On - How can digital tools improve health and water services? - What criteria should guide aid priorities? A Different Perspective Internet access can also enable health and water solutions, so a balanced approach may be needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Charities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charities/) [Clinics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinics/) [Countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries/) [Exaggerated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaggerated/) [Give](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/give/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Importance Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance-internet-1939305/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-impact-434459/) [Internet Shouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-shouldn-1939306/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-countries/) [Providing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/providing/) [Providing Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/providing-health-1939307/) [Relevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relevant/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) ## Related quotes > [I think reviews have lost a lot of their importance now because of the Internet; everyone is experiencing things at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-think-reviews-have-lost-a-lot-of-their-importance-now-because-of/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [The big corporations are suddenly taking notice of the web, and their reactions have been slow. Even the computer industry failed to see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-big-corporations-are-suddenly-taking-notice-of-the-web-and-their/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Providing health care is like building a house. The task requires experts, expensive equipment and materials, and a huge amount of coordination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/providing-health-care-is-like-building-a-house-the-task-requires/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [In poor countries, we still need better ways to measure the effectiveness of the many government workers providing health services. They are the crucial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/in-poor-countries-we-still-need-better-ways-to-measure-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [We live in a country that sent people to the moon. This accomplishment, along with other bold leaps of faith, required political will, determination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/we-live-in-a-country-that-sent-people-to-the-moon-this-accomplishment/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [In business, you don't necessarily need heart, whereas here, in government, almost everything affects people. So if you're talking about health care - you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-business-you-don-t-necessarily-need-heart-whereas-here-in/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The Internet's impact is immense. My students can't imagine ever paying for a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-internet-s-impact-is-immense-my-students-can-t-imagine-ever/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [“The Internet’s impact on the economy has been no greater than the fax machine’s….ten years from now, the phrase “information economy” will sound silly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-internet-s-impact-on-the-economy-has-been-no-greater-than-the-fax/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [I want to talk about the internet, the impact it’s having on the innocence of our children, how online pornography is corroding childhood and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/i-want-to-talk-about-the-internet-the-impact-it-s-having-on-the/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [The growth of the Internet will slow drastically, as the flaw in 'Metcalfe's law'–which states that the number of potential connections in a network…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-growth-of-the-internet-will-slow-drastically-as-the-flaw-in/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [It's a pretty amazing feeling to know that something I posted on the Internet can impact so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy/it-s-a-pretty-amazing-feeling-to-know-that-something-i-posted-on-the/) [Poppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy/) > [Henry Kissinger once told me he was very concerned about the Internet's impact on people's ability to absorb information in a concentrated way, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/henry-kissinger-once-told-me-he-was-very-concerned-about-the-internet/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [I began these clinics because I want to share my years of experience in around the ring, in addition to my proven winning methods.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-steward/i-began-these-clinics-because-i-want-to-share-my-years-of-experience/) [Emanuel Steward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-steward/) > [While Planned Parenthood provides abortions at some of their clinics, it also provides healthcare services for poor women, including checkups, mammograms, cervical cancer screenings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-williams/while-planned-parenthood-provides-abortions-at-some-of-their-clinics/) [Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-williams/) > [Except for clinics, I hardly pick up a basketball during the off-season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-havlicek/except-for-clinics-i-hardly-pick-up-a-basketball-during-the-off-season/) [John Havlicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-havlicek/) ## More by Ha-Joon Chang > [“In no country does the average income give the right picture of how people live but in a country with higher inequality it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/in-no-country-does-the-average-income-give-the-right-picture-of-how/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Sometimes people with strong ideology, whether left-wing or right-wing, refuse to do something simply because they believe it is wrong, when doing it actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/sometimes-people-with-strong-ideology-whether-left-wing-or-right-wing/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Every market has some rules and boundaries that restrict freedom of choice. 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Truman, in his typical no-nonsense style, once said that ‘An expert is someone who doesn’t want to learn anything new, because then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/harry-s-truman-in-his-typical-no-nonsense-style-once-said-that-an/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Rational thinking is an important aspect of human nature, but we have imagination, we have ambition, we have irrational fear, we are swayed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/rational-thinking-is-an-important-aspect-of-human-nature-but-we-have/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [The history of capitalism has been so totally re-written that many people in the rich world do not perceive the historical double standards involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/the-history-of-capitalism-has-been-so-totally-re-written-that-many/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Equality of opportunity is meaningless for those who do not have the capabilities to take advantage of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/equality-of-opportunity-is-meaningless-for-those-who-do-not-have-the/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [The higher education system in these countries (US, Korea etc) has become like a theatre in which some people decided to stand to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/the-higher-education-system-in-these-countries-us-korea-etc-has/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [What free-market economists are not telling us is that the politics they want to get rid of are none other than those of democracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/what-free-market-economists-are-not-telling-us-is-that-the-politics/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [ “Joseph Schumpeter emphasized that all analysis in economics is preceded by a pre-analytical cognitive act, called vision, in which the analyst ‘visualise\[s\] a distinct… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/joseph-schumpeter-emphasized-that-all-analysis-in-economics-is/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [“All technical professionals have an incentive to make themselves look more complicated than they are so that they can justify the high fees their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/all-technical-professionals-have-an-incentive-to-make-themselves-look/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [I'm not an anti-capitalist, or anarchist. I want capitalism to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/i-m-not-an-anti-capitalist-or-anarchist-i-want-capitalism-to-work/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [“all technical professions have an incentive to make themselves look more complicated than they really are so that they can justify the high fees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/all-technical-professions-have-an-incentive-to-make-themselves-look/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) [Explore all 129 Ha-Joon Chang quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) ## More Access quotes > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) > [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/) [Andrew Nikiforuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-nikiforuk/) > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [Broadband Internet access shouldn't depend on who you are or where you're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/broadband-internet-access-shouldn-t-depend-on-who-you-are-or-where/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) [Browse all 2,178 Access quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Charities are now working to give people in poor countries access to the Internet. But shouldn't we spend that money on providing health clinics and safe water? Aren't these things more relevant? 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