Free The Charity Chip by Brock Booher

Barilla. “Yes, it completely changed my life.”
    “Do you have any idea how many children like Graciela there are in the world?” asked Isak. “Millions! And governments throw money at the problem by the billions, but it never seems to help. Too much of the money gets siphoned off by corruption or lost in inefficiency.” He reached down and grabbed her left hand. “Because of modern technology embedded in her hand, the money can flow directly to her, eliminating the middle man.” He chuckled. “She literally has the power to succeed in her hand.”
    “Do you also provide housing for the participants?” asked Doctor Barilla.
    Isak frowned and shook his head. “No, that would undermine our goal of helping them achieve independence. Besides, the government programs are available for that. We allow more freedom to our enrollees.” Isak pointed at two bathrooms situated toward the back of the room. “However, we do provide complete shower facilities for proper hygiene and encourage their use.”
    “How do you keep them from abusing the funds you provide?
    Isak gave a puzzled look. “Have you been chipped, Doctor?”
    “No, I never saw the need.”
    “Ah, I see. Modern money chips can be programmed with various protocols. For example, you can program a chip to cap daily spending, limit spending to a specific geographic location, or shut off the funds completely, all with a few clicks of a mouse. Caritas has established protocols that only allow participants to purchase approved items and that place spending limits on the funds.”
    “Amazing,” said Doctor Barilla. “The marvel of modern technology never ceases.”
    Isak released Graciela’s hand and patted her on the shoulder. “Thank you, Graciela. We will let you get back to your lessons.” He ushered Doctor Barilla toward the back of the room. “We also have an in-house clinic for handling any health issues. All potential candidates are required to pass a physical exam before acceptance, and they sign a contract stating that they will avoid the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Once accepted to the program, they are examined regularly.”
    Doctor Barilla chewed at the stem of his glasses. “It seems to be a very unusual charity. You require a physical exam and a contract. You don’t make it available to everyone. Pardon me for saying so, but it seems as if you only want to help a select few. Isn’t every life worth saving?”
    Isak stopped in front of a waiting area with posters promoting cleanliness and hygiene on the walls. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and looked down at Doctor Barilla. “Tell me, Doctor, have you ever worked in an emergency room?”
    Doctor Barilla fumbled with his glasses. “Yes.”
    “Then you are familiar with the practice of triage?”
    “Of course.”
    “We are simply applying the principles of triage with the limited resources available to us. Just like an emergency room doctor, we are trying to focus on those who can be saved, and let other organizations reduce the suffering of those we cannot save. Every life has value, but if we tried to save everyone, we would become so inundated and ineffective that we would save no one.”
    Julio stared at the poster admonishing children to wash their hands. He looked back at the study area and saw the girl in the corner looking at him. She looked away as soon as his eyes met hers.
    “How do you determine who gets accepted?” asked Doctor Barilla. “What criteria do you use? Which lives are more valuable and worth saving?”
    “My dear doctor, that is proprietary information.” He raised a finger and added, “Let me assure you that Caritas is changing the lives of many needy children, and shortly we will be expanding the program to help more, provided our sponsors at the UN are happy with our progress.” He looked at his watch. “I’m sorry I have to end the tour, but I must attend to other duties. Please follow me.”
    Isak approached a metal door at the