We have already highlighted the problems facing rural communities in the developing world. But what can be done to help alleviate the problems? There is no simple answer. The world's problems are far too diverse and complicated for a single solution.

Like any problem, we can only find a solution once we have spoken to the people who it affects the most. Once we have got the details, we can then make some informed decisions.

We cannot simply fly into the communities unannounced and expect to be welcomed. Many rural communities do not get many visitors and they are suspicious of outsiders.  We must work closely with people who are already familiar with the communities and know the local language and customs.

The best people to work with are local NGOs (Non Government Organisations) and local community leaders. These are people who have already established themselves within the communities and they are familiar with the problems faced by them.

Many NGOs will have worked in the communities for a long time and will have already gathered a huge amount of information.

 To find out more about how NGOs work, click on the link above.

This is all very good if we are able to give up the time to directly help those in the developing world. But what if we don't have the time? There is still some ways in which we can help.

We can make donations directly to development agencies or NGOs, or we can help to advocate the plight of rural people in the developing world.

Making a donation is easy enough nowadays. Thanks to the Internet, we can make on-line donations from the comfort of our homes. The biggest question is how do we choose which charitable organisation to give our money to? The other question is - how do we know that they will use our money effectively?

Some of the larger charities such as Oxfam focus their attention on working with rural communities to alleviate poverty. They may work in a variety of different areas in any number of countries. Organisations like the Red Cross will focus more of their attention of disaster relief and preparing for disasters.

There are some charities that work in more specific problems. Water Aid, a UK based charity that focuses on overcoming poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.