CULTIVATING CHANGE

 Written by: J Shiruti

Edited by: Yashi Shah

PHILANTHROPY :A WAY OF LIFE

'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime'

This is an English proverb that most of us have come across. The question is- how many of us truly understand it?

This proverb simply means that it is worthwhile to teach someone to do something (for themselves) than to do it for them (on an ongoing basis)

How many of us truly believe in making changes at the very grass-root levels. To dive deep into the problem and eradicating it from its very roots rather than working on them superficially? Take a moment and introspect.

"Worship of humankind" is an exemplary way to interpret philanthropy.  The objective of philanthropy is to enhance the wellbeing of society and culture by staving off and cracking social dilemmas. Philanthropy is not as equivalent as a charity. Charity concentrates on eradicating the suffering provoked by social problems, while philanthropy emphases on terminating social problems. For example, providing money to the deprived is termed as a provisional charity. But, enlightening the public and assisting them in seeking employment is philanthropy. It certainly eliminates the long term deprivation in society.

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give”- Churchill 

Philanthropy plays a significant role in a democratic nation. Giving back to society not only restores our faith in humanity and brotherhood but also creates awareness about our social responsibility. Giving evokes gratitude, it is contagious and meaningful. It serves the purpose of eradicating problems from the inception and pulls out a change, positively impacting lives. It does not ask of you to be an entrepreneur to the likes of Ambani's or Tata's but only small consistent contributions. They say, the more you give, the more you receive in return, and indeed this is the cycle of life. What you give, comes back to you, sometimes multiplied. Philanthropy is not an effort or a policy, it is a way of life. Are you ready to adopt this way of living? Ready to be the change you want to see? To spread smiles? To someday see somebody stand on their own feet only because you contributed to their growth?