The Problem with Care Packages
Although there are many great things about care packages and the many other gifts people send to ministries around the world, sometimes they become a big problem.
For the Bless the Children Home in Guyana, a South American nation, as well as other nations in the region and around the world, that issue is import duties and trade tariffs. In the United States, charitably donated goods are typically duty free so long as they are going directly to those in need, but this is not the case in much of the developing world. This issue is often compounded in many developing nations by corruption, as many individuals charge their own “service fees” atop the expensive taxes. It often costs ministries like Bless the Children more to pay the duties and fees than it would cost them to buy equivalent goods locally.
It is often best to ask a ministry team about such issues before mailing care packages or bulk goods, to ensure that neither you nor they are being charged high import fees. As always, one hundred percent of all monetary donations to a specific project or missionary go to that project.
(Source: Church of God World Missions)
