上个月，我邀请我的微信公众号粉丝加入了一个群聊，从中收到了超过1500条提问。以下就是我对其中最吸引我的四个问题做出的回答。
1. 你们如何与子女交流你们的慈善理念？他们的观点是怎样的？
我和梅琳达各自的家庭都教导我们回馈的意义，我们在这样的环境中长大，而且也这样教育我们的三个孩子。在他们小的时候，我们就和他们聊基金会的工作，带他们去本地的食物银行（向穷人发放食物的慈善机构，译者注）做志愿者。现在他们长大了，我们就带他们到处旅行，让他们自己去发现问题并思考解决方案。像所有的父母一样，我们正在尽最大努力把我们的价值观传递给孩子。至于他们将如何践行这些价值观，决定权于他们自己。
我应该补充一点，看到中国正在建立自己的慈善事业是一件很棒的事情。中国惊人的发展成就创造了资源，可以帮助中国及世界各地的数百万人口。在中国这片土地上的所见所闻，让我深受鼓舞。
2. 关于公益，我的问题是：这些疫苗和教育问题本应该是政府需要去解决的，你们投入太多是否会造成一定程度的懒政，并且加强了当地对你们的依赖，这点二位是怎么考虑的呢？
我们的基金会努力确保这种情况不会发生。我们的投资旨在补充而不是取代政府和私营部门的工作。例如，我们资助了许多有前途的创意，从而了解哪些是可行的。这中间有风险，因为某些方案不会成功，那么政府和企业就会因为不愿承担失败的风险而不作为。一旦某个创意通过了测试和验证，它接下来需要的是扩大规模，这就给了公共和私营部门用武之地。例如，我们的基金会资助了早期的疫苗研发工作，而这些疫苗如今正通过政府和其他团体接种到数百万孩子的身上。
3. 科技对世界的影响越来越大，对于改善全球贫富差距，为什么不向欠发达国家导入科技，反而主要对教育和改善生活领域投入如此之大？
你提到的改善生活和引进创新这两件事其实是相互关联的。创新是改善世界各地人们生活的关键。我们基金会的核心任务就是确保新的工具能够被送到最需要的人群。例如，我们投资新的疫苗、诊断工具和对穷人影响最大的疾病的治疗手段。我们还投资新的种子及其它产品，帮助贫困国家的农民种植出更多的粮食，赚取更多的收入。世界的创新能力——尤其是来自像中国这样地方的创意——使我乐观地相信我们能继续解决棘手的问题。
4. 授人以鱼不如授人以渔，您在做慈善中是如何避免越是扶贫越是贫困的状况？在实际过程中你们是如何让贫困地区受帮助的人感受到希望和信心的？
实现自给自足，这是我们基金会特别重视改善健康（特别是初级卫生保健系统）的原因之一。除了能够拯救生命之外，拥有强大的初级卫生保健系统保障一个国家有能力投资学校、道路和基础设施等其他有助于经济增长的领域。中国也许是最好的一个范例，它已经取得了巨大的经济增长，现在正与其他国家分享它所学到的经验教训。
My response to questions from my WeChat followers
Last month, I invited my WeChat followers to a group chat, from which I got more than 1,500 questions. Below are my answers to the four questions that I find most interesting.
1. How do you and Melinda pass your philanthropic values on to your children? What's their opinion of philanthropy?
Both Melinda and I grew up in families that taught us the value of giving back, and we are doing the same for our three children. When they were younger, we talked to them about our foundation’s work and did things like taking them to volunteer at a local food bank. Now that they’re older, we take them on trips to see the problems and solutions for themselves. Like all parents, we are doing our best to pass our values on to our children. How they decide to live out these values will be up to them.
I should add that it’s great to see China building up its philanthropic sector. The country’s phenomenal growth has created resources that can help millions of people in China and around the world. I’m inspired by what I see happening in this area.
2. My question about philanthropy is this: vaccine and education issues are supposed to be addressed by the government. Will your huge investment in these areas cause governments to become lazy and dependent on your assistance?
Our foundation works hard to make sure this does not happen. Our investments are designed to complement, not replace, the work of governments and the private sector. For example, we fund a lot of promising ideas in order to see which ones work. This carries some risk because certain approaches won’t pan out, which is why government and businesses are limited in their ability to take it on. Once an idea has been tested and proven, then it needs to be scaled up, which is a good role for the public and private sector. For example our foundation funded early work on vaccines that governments and other groups are now delivering to millions of children.
3. Science & Technology are having an ever greater impact on the world. Why do you invest so much in education and improving living standards in under-developed countries, instead of introducing new technology in order to narrow the wealth gap?
The two things you mention—improving lives and introducing innovations—are connected. Innovation is key to improving lives everywhere. Our foundation’s core mission is to make sure new tools reach the people who need them most. For example, we invest in new vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments for diseases that disproportionately affect the poor. We also invest in new seeds and other products that help farmers in poor countries grow more food and earn more money. The world’s ability to innovate—and especially the ideas coming out of places like China—makes me optimistic that we can continue to solve tough problems.
4. It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him fish. What do you think of this idea and how do you apply that to your work. When you help people in poor areas, do you try to give them hope and confidence?
Self-sufficiency is one of the reasons our foundation is so focused on improving health and especially primary health-care systems. In addition to saving lives, a strong primary health-care system lets a country invest in other things like schools, roads, and infrastructure that help the economy grow. China may be the best example of a country whose economy has expanded dramatically and is now sharing the lessons it has learned with other countries.
