Doing Good, Feeling Good

Anybody who knows me well, will know how I feel about going to business dinners or functions where I am expected to make small talk - see my blog on "So do you work?". But there is one annual function that I really enjoy - that is the Inyathelo dinner. 

Inyathelo is also known as the South African Institute for Advancement and their mission is "to build an enduring culture of 'giving' that results in a strong and stable society and democracy in SA". They do this by growing local philanthropy and supporting non-profit organisations. Every year they have a dinner to celebrate the people who have made a difference to the communities that they live or work in. 

Last week there were no fewer than 11 awardees. Gentlecare which provides a hospice for sick and homeless people, the Kay Mason Foundation which provides bursaries for exceptional children from disadvantaged backgrounds to high school, and 18Twenty8 which empowers young women through personal development, were just some of those honoured at the dinner last night. 

What I am always impressed by is how little it takes to change someone's life and how giving someone a hand up can make such an enormous difference. So many of us don't do anything because we think that the problems are so overwhelming that it is useless to even try, but if we all give what we can, whether it is money or time, we can help to change society. 

One of the young recipients of the Kay Mason bursary, who grew up "in a hell-hole, overwhelmed by drugs, alcohol, poverty, teenage parents and gangster-ism", notes in his testimony that he may look just like all the other students at his school but when compared with children from his neighbourhood, he is one of the most privileged. He has been given the opportunity to break the cycle through education at a good government school outside of this hellhole. And, suddenly a host of opportunities has opened up to him.

It was also very encouraging to hear about the trend that I hope will catch on here. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have decided that they would give away their money while they were still alive. They certainly have enough to live on, and why not do it now when they can see what effect their philanthropy is having? That way you get to enjoy it twice!

Back to the dinner - it is a real feel-good occasion. To hear what people are doing, some people with very little, and the stories of what they have achieved is truly inspiring. It's good practice to sit back, every now and then, and celebrate what we are doing right.