The fastest and most effective action to help the third world would be to recognize that the model for prosperity in industrialized nations is flawed; we are going the wrong way. We now know it is destroying us.
For the third world to receive money to start businesses that can employ many people, then find out the prospect for energy to transport their goods is not secure is not helping. They need a model that can sustain them through the generations, increase their health, teach their children how to become parents and providers for their families, and teach the people how to become part of a peaceful society.
World goals for development are unsustainable; but if we turn them toward creating a garden paradise, that can span the generations without polluting. This would not be a garden paradise to attract tourists because that brings stranger into your land, which will cause the best foods to go to restaurants, pollute your land and create businesses that require fuel that will not be available to sustain it.
The proper garden paradise is where you use the land near your homes and plant a few fruit and nut trees, vegetable plants and things that are not just beautiful but have food to give security that completes any idea of paradise.
"Square Foot Gardening" is a method of growing vegetables that uses less land, water, fertilizer and work than the straight line method. You make your gardens about three feet wide and as long or short as you want depending on what you are growing. You will be using people power, not machines so you do not need to lose that extra space. Mel Bartholomew wrote two books describing this easy method. Any variation is better than the line method.
Gifts of small livestock or money to buy small livestock are great because they reproduce more than one offspring and give milk and eggs so that in a short space of time, every family can have enough for their family. Remember, we are not trying to create a business, but a paradise.
Money that has been spent for education can educate better by letting the children stay home and learn how to grow the garden and care for the livestock so they can care for their own families in the future. They will receive more discipline and be around to learn how to make family and community decisions. They will learn respect and responsibility and they will stay in the community instead of seeking riches in another country.
All holy books tell us to train the child in scripture reading; literacy will be normal for all the people, and all scriptures teach not to be angry, selfish or greedy, to respect parents and community leaders, to be modest and observe chastity, and to forgive offenses. Those things keep peace in the land and prevent many diseases. This allows people to return to their lands and develop their paradise with no hatred among the people.
Sending fashions and toys only increases poverty as the people leave the land to look for riches in the cities and end up with deplorable poverty conditions and being used to advance someone else's business. The equal living standard was to be retirement in a garden paradise with all your needs met and your family around to help and enjoy each other. It is easy to be prosperous when your family is there to help the young and the old. All are useful and productive in a garden paradise.
Money contributed with this model will go further than using the high technology model of the industrialized world to help the average citizens to be prosperous and truly free. These are concrete, but light and easy, actions to help the third world.