Little can be much

Victoria Ruzvidzo

Over the past few weeks I have been exposed to circumstances that have made me realise that as individuals and corporates we can do much to impact the lives of the less privileged and vulnerable if we are really determined.

In one case, pupils are having to travel more than 20km to go to an examination centre only because a nearby school does not have the security box for test papers and can thus not be accorded examination centre status. These boxes are not too pricey and yet beyond the school’s means.

In another case, one “Cristiano Ronaldo” is unable to display his football skills fully and pursue his passion because he does not have soccer boots or any form of sneakers.

In another instance, a granny has had to watch helplessly after her 40 year-old son due to poverty and yet she herself, also needs looking after.

These are only a few of the cases out there where people need a helping hand. We have seen a lot being done by firms and philanthropists, but much more needs to be done.

Any society is made up of the needy and vulnerable, inclusive of the elderly, widows, orphans, children, and the poor. The dire circumstances some of these are confronted with are heart-rending and spine chilling.

The corporate sector can play a role in mitigating and remedying abject poverty and reducing susceptibility to some shattering realities the aforementioned are faced with.

One of the tenets of good corporate citizenry is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A way of meeting this imperative is to attend to the needy and provide relief to those under these circumstances.

It is argued that corporates operate in communities and society, who are their customers and are, therefore, obliged to give back to society. None is more deserving than the extremely vulnerable members of the society mentioned above.

What perhaps is more touching is that most are victims of circumstances not of their creation. They are not culpable in the situations they find themselves in. We should thus be sufficiently moved to do the little that we can.

Companies are confronted by a plethora of challenges, compounded by Covid-19. Declining revenues has been the order of the day. Some entities have proven to be resilient, whereupon they have managed to stymie the tide. Some, as the financial statements reflect, are making profits still. Yet others have managed to increase profit margins, against all odds. Some even spurred by conditions and demand engendered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is then that while a good number of companies are restructuring as a consequence of the hard hits they took and continue to as the pandemic subsists, they need not forget those in worse circumstances. It is in this vein that even the little that is done for the needy will go a long way. When humanity is confronted by desperate situations, depression, loneliness, despondency, stress set in. In empathising with the needy, the agony becomes palpable.

Picture going a whole day without a meal, picture again, being homeless, exposed to the weather elements such as rain and cold. Worse still, others cannot afford medical attention and it is not uncommon for some to go through excruciating pain, simply because they do not have the wherewithal to get medical attention. This world becomes an extremely lonely place. They observe others having fun and receiving  presents on holidays and some special occasions. This accentuates their own plight.

So when corporates donate to the needy, they are playing a very critical role, certainly for the beneficiaries. The simplest and cheapest of goods can mean a whole lot for those in such circumstances which beckon attention and address.

A minute fraction of profits, negligible as it might be can bring a smile on the face of that poverty ravished grandma, as it will to that despairing window or the hopeless orphan. It will show that at least someone out there cares and thinks about them, raising spirits, hope and a sense of belonging, albeit temporarily in some instances.

Such moments will forever be etched on their minds, finding consolation in that someone remembered them. Humanity is one, as so poignantly demonstrated by Covid-19. No matter one’s station, it attacked indiscriminately. What affects one affects all and the same spirit should manifest as we consider and act on the needy.

Corporates have been exhorted to prioritise Economic, Social and Governance(ESG) goals. These three are increasingly being considered in company valuations. This is a divergence from the profit motive only. This is indicative of humanity coming to the realisation that there is more to life than just money, to the exclusion of people, more so those in conditions that are unfathomable to many.

The spirit of Ubuntu must find expression in our actions, not just in idle rhetoric. Which reminds me of the Phil Collins Classic “Another day in Paradise”. In it Phil relates how a homeless woman sought help from a passer-by with tear marks on her face. The passer-by kept on walking, nonchalantly, ignoring the desperate pleas of the woman.

But after walking a distance, the passer-by turns back, upon his conscience being pricked. He goes back to the studio to record a song. It is a true story and the passer-by was Phil Collins, that’s how we came to have “Another Day in Paradise”.

So the question then is do we keep walking, or we do the little we can?

A number of organisations have come up with Corporate Social Responsibility Awards, which is laudable. It brings to the fore the need to do something other than for oneself, makes it a metric by which organisations are judged. It almost compels organisations to see the bigger picture, to appreciate that there are other elements, outside the traditional ones, which matter and compels them to follow suit.

While others might do it for purely selfish reasons, to get media coverage and enhance their brand visibility and profile, a significant number have benevolent intentions, wishing as they do, to touch and transform lives.

There are situations which require us to touch a soul, make their day a better one. Putting a smile on one’s face, filling one with hope in the knowledge that they are not alone makes the world go round. All this can be achieved by sparring a thought and taking action to help fellow humans, however, small it might be. That too applies to individuals  and society at large.

Such strategies complement Government’s efforts such as BEAM, free inputs distribution and other social welfare programmes that have transformed lives and given hope to the needy.

Indeed, little can be much!

In God I trust!

Twitter handle: @VictoriaRuzvid2; Email: [email protected]; [email protected]; WhatsApp number: 0772 129 972.