Being generous makes us happy

This weekend I saw a TV report that made me think that this is true. Diospi - Suyana, which in Quechua means "In God We Trust" is the name of a project of students, seniors and members of the civil society in Germany that are working to help Peruvian farmers. Its also the name of a modern hospital built with funds coming in 90% from donations of thousands of individuals
rather than large companies.
Apurimac, is a province located halfway between Cusco and Abancay and corresponds to a concentrated area where the highest rates of poverty and illiteracy are in Peru. Their concerns are painfully pragmatic: What they will eat each day, how to protect themselves from cold, or where their children will study.
There came this couple of Germans with this absolutely delirious purpose: to build a hospital for taking care of those in need with advanced medical equipment, accepting as payment just animals, grains and if there is nothing, just nothing.
The only requirement for care at the Hospital Diospi Suyana is to be sick. No insurance, no letters of recommendation, or come back tomorrow, or feeling discriminated against for being quechua speaker, or an illiterate woman without resources or, worse, the sum of all the above.
Klaus John is a surgeon, his wife Martina is a pediatrician and after working for several years in the Ecuadorian jungle, they decided to start their dream: to found a hospital for people in need. Doing good, in a sustained, organized and long term way.

Are they crazy or are a modern version of Mother Teresa?No. They have a deep faith and happiness to share. If faith can move mountains, the faith of John, also moved pockets, hearts and authorities. Has broken down bureaucracies and skepticism. Has weathered blocked roads and managed to work together Catholics and evangelicals. Just wonderful.

Why do they do this?
Well I think they are really happy helping others.
We all always try to achieve happiness as a goal, as a perfect and permanent state. However, sometimes we get away from what can make us happy. We believe that happiness is to possess things like money, houses, cars, the perfect couple and the realization of dreams. If we want something but we dont have it physically, as the examples above, then there is frustration.
Perhaps the first step to happiness is learning to appreciate what we have, in a world where extreme poverty still exists. We may also turn our attention to positive feelings such as altruism. When we try to help others, we stop thinking of ourselves in a selfish way and we feel a deep sense of wellbeing. We all have something to share, we may be interested in others and make every day a good action that causes a smile on someone's face, cultivating peace and happiness.