How are you giving back?
Over time we have come to believe that all that matters is for us to give. While this is certainly important very little thought has been put towards why we give, how we give and the longterm consequences of our giving. By adopting sustainable approaches to giving we have an opportunity to create longterm value characterised by meeting today's needs without compromising our future development.
In the African context at present, a combination of immediate disaster relief and longterm development investments are unavoidable and much needed. For instance,Currently the global Covid-19 pandemic has presented a threat to our already burdened healthcare systems. As such, disaster relief efforts to alleviate hunger, unemployment etc are critical but so are longterm investments in equipment and infrastructure. This being said these and more general interventions require an increased demand for accountability, coordination and forward thinking. If not managed carefully we run the risk of reinforcing corrupt structures, failing to reach those most in need and creating massive social dependency. By asking the question- what is the impact of my giving- we can increasingly contribute in a way that helps without causing future harm.
As we consider giving back sustainably over time we must realise that for the continent to truly develop we require more than good deeds, we require strategies around capacity development, maintenance of infrastructure, skills transfer,technology, the creation of opportunities for the marginalised and a more comprehensive variety of other sustainable interventions. Collectively we have the solutions and the future depends on it.
The realisation is that government, organisations and individuals all have a collective role to play. If we can collectively change our giving culture we can truly change the development landscape of our communities, countries and continent.
Article by Ratidzo Njagu
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