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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel like this is not enough

36 replies

caroline161 · 06/10/2018 17:55

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-45770519/indonesia-man-city-footballer-riyad-mahrez-s-message-to-survivor

So this little boy watching man city in an internet cafe in Indonesia is pulled out of the rubble after the earthquake. Man city player mahrez then does a little video for him and says he will send him a shirt. Little boy overwhelmed. I just feel that with all the wealth of Man city they can do better than that. Can't they ?

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 06/10/2018 17:57

What do you want them to do?

lastqueenofscotland · 06/10/2018 18:00

What do you want them to do Confused they are a sports team run like a marketable product not a charity

Tahani · 06/10/2018 18:02

I thought it was a bit lame as well to be honest

Not sure what else they could do, but it just felt like 'publicity stunt'. They have just spent 60m on him, imagine what that kind of money could buy to help.

SleepingStandingUp · 06/10/2018 18:02

I think considering what he's likely to be earning then a small charitable donation to the kids family would barely be noticed by him and would make a huge difference to this kid and his family

WorraLiberty · 06/10/2018 18:10

No-one knows whether he made a charitable donation or not though

He's hardly going to tell everyone and get accused of being crass or bragging.

SleepingStandingUp · 06/10/2018 18:16

Well there is that. If he did a shirt and £1k he'd be a show off braggard and he'd be tight for not giving more. Same at 10 k or £50k. Then it would be why aren't the other players doing it, why isn't the business etc. They could easier afford to give him a mil!!

WorraLiberty · 06/10/2018 18:20

True and also it's not all about this one child, it's also about all the other poor victims too.

Original poster
caroline161 · 06/10/2018 18:24

I know and that's why I asked if I was bu. However I started to get all excited when they said they contacted them and they sent "a video and a shirt" I thought they were going to change his life and they just didn't. I was very under whelmed.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 06/10/2018 18:27

They can't change the life of every child who contacts them with a tragic story, sadly.

I'm hoping they made a sizable donation to the charity though.

Mulberry72 · 06/10/2018 18:49

Manchester City regularly make very large donations to various different charities/good causes which aren’t publicised, they don’t need to be.

Notacluewhatthisis · 06/10/2018 19:17

There's every chance this player and the club have made a donation.

Yabu, to think they should have changed this boys life. What's happened is awful. But should they do it for every child who writes to them? Or says they were watching them? Or that player is their favourite?

Lots of children need their lives changing, why would doing something extra for this child be better than donating and helping lots of kids on a smaller scale?

This is ridiculous.

Original poster
caroline161 · 06/10/2018 19:39

I know but he was watching them play in an internet cafe that then collapsed and he had to be pulled out of the rubble...its only by luck of birth that their roles are not reversed. I personally hope the club have done much more that we don't know about. Do you remember when Denise Roberts sponsored that little orphan boy and his brother? Now he runs the orphanage. I just think that's what I was expecting that sort of thing. Sorry if that's unreasonable. Just because they can't do it for every one doesn't mean that they shouldn't do it for anyone.

OP posts:
JacquesHammer · 06/10/2018 19:43

I don’t think we know whether a financial donation has been made also.

However a tangible gesture has been made to a small child going through a horrific time and I think it’s knportant to acknowledge what that will mean to that child.

SleepingStandingUp · 06/10/2018 20:08

its only by luck of birth that their roles are not reversed
But you can use this for anything. The kid is lucky he isn't one of the tens of hundreds head, it's only by luck of birth that their roles weren't reversed.

The gesture will have made that kids day and whilst yes I'd like to think they've added soke financial help, have we checked if all the football players earning more than him in have too?

Original poster
caroline161 · 06/10/2018 20:14

But he's his favourite player, that's why the message came from him. I don't know what the answer is but I just think a 10 second video and a shirt is a bit shit. My son got a shirt when he got hit by the ball at a game Smile

OP posts:
ToddlerIs2 · 06/10/2018 20:15

How much have you donated OP?

Jaxtellerswife · 06/10/2018 20:20

I'm sure the article says he has a broken arm, so not as bad as it could have been.
The Man City player doesn't owe anyone a thing so no, the gesture is not 'a bit shit'. It's very kind.

BumDisease · 06/10/2018 20:24

Was he the only person in the cafe at the time? Why should they give him money (or whatever you think they should have offered) and leave the other people there with nothing?

JacquesHammer · 06/10/2018 20:24

But he's his favourite player, that's why the message came from him

Yes I think we gathered that Confused

So as a quick message, they’ve sent a video and organised a shirt. And you’d rather they didn’t because it’s “not enough” but you don’t actually know what else has been done.

Original poster
caroline161 · 06/10/2018 21:21

I know, I was just underwhelmed by what they'd done. I was excited for the little boy that it might have been more. I've donated what I can afford, although not directly to that little boy as don't know how to. Wish I could change his life Shock

OP posts:
Tahani · 06/10/2018 21:23

Manchester City regularly make very large donations to various different charities/good causes which aren’t publicised, they don’t need to be.

Well they do really, making donations raises awareness, and then more people give

Original poster
caroline161 · 06/10/2018 21:24

Oh and it's not that I don't think they should have done what they have done, I just didn't think they'd gone far enough that's all.

OP posts:
Notacluewhatthisis · 06/10/2018 22:38

Why would you donate to that boy in particular?

What you are saying us that unless people or organisation, do something huge and life changing they shouldn't bother doing something nice.

PatButchersEarring · 06/10/2018 22:48

Totally agree. I thought the same when watching it and had a little rant to my daughter. How about making a significant donation to the relief effort??

Racecardriver · 06/10/2018 22:59

This fixation on changing lives is coming across as a bit western supremacist. Wjen I was a teenager I went on a charitable trip to a developing country. We stayed in a village where the organisation was liasing with the local community to raise funds/bring in qualified professionals to run a school and set up a maternity hospital. We came across a really lovely little girls who was being horribly abused by her father. One of the families that came with us decided that they were going to apply the girl, bring her back to Australia and, change her life. Needless to say everyone was aghast. In the end the girls grandmother was found and is now raising yer with the help of an animal stipend and the father was paid off to basically fuck off. It's just not really appropriate to interfere where no one has asked you to. The little boy got a message from his idol. I am sure he was thrilled. I just don't understand why you think wealthy westerners need to come in and change this boys life.