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Life changing decisions

By Guy Mclaren

Today I want to just get a few things off my chest, utter a few words and air some ideas. See, in the last few years I have felt the need to do something big, I have a desire to give back to my community. The sad thing is that it seems more difficult to give back than should be the case.

In the beginning

Almost ten years ago I had the concept of helping solve education issues in South Africa, At the time I was living in the UK and thought, wouldn't it be a cool idea to solve some of South Africa's poverty issues by teaching people to fish. You see I live by the dictum, that charity giving needs to be more than a soup kitchen.

Soup Kitchens are great, helping the homeless have a full tummy. But in reality the effect of soup kitchens is creating dependence. People in that situation really need more than just a meal, they need a method of defeating the demons that are keeping them in slavery.

They need a shower, a clean room and opportunities to gain employment. In Utopia this would work, In reality the labour markets are depressed and the jobs don't exist. So a good clean up and the willing to job hunt will not alleviate the need for soup kitchens. Bear with me here I will get to the point eventually.

2008 Politics

I decided I needed to do the big thing, I sat down and thought about ways to raise money, and about causes that needed help. While this was happening a new political movement arose on the South African scene and I perceived that I could add a lot of value by serving my nation in this manner.

Sadly I learned that a desire to serve is not one of the prime considerations of politics. Desire for money, desire to rule, desire to be a VIP are much more powerful motivators in political circles.

Truth is a victim of expedience, and those that are unable to speak with a forked tongue, do illicit back door deals and basically cheat the electorate will not be the leadership. Now before you tell me I am exaggerating, please get involved even if just on a regional level. You will see such underhandedness as you would never believe possible.

2010 The Cancer charities

This year I got serious and actually started planning a project. I was going to build a house for cancer sufferers. You see in Africa people have to travel long distances for treatment and that alone causes many to give up on treatment. My father was one of those and I had the dream to solve this problem for others.

I approached the local Cancer Association who loved the idea, but they couldn't make the decision to support my efforts, That needed to come from the National Association.
Two months of talking, meetings and proposals and the idea was turned down. The main reason I could perceive was that the various regional and National branches were concerned that we would take away funding that they would normally get.

Yes you heard me correctly, They were concerned that I would be competing with them for funding and thus would not support our efforts to improve the service they would offer their constituency.

I also offered and built a website for a local hospice. I spoke to the office personell and was referred to the office manager and soon we had a working website. I did the SEO and started getting results from the search engines, when I received an email from the Chairman telling me to remove the website because they were concerned about legal issues.

Note they had concerns, yet they had no specifics, had no legal advice nor did they want to make some changes. They wanted it removed.

I guess the Cancer charities in the area have no need of assistance.

Education

Let's get back to the soup kitchens, The thing most of those that need the services of the soup kitchens have in common is a lack of education.

In the last few years I have heard of matriculants with exemption that have been unable to find funding for their studies. Bursaries are available for those who have a desire to study Accounting and Engineering, But those who have a desire to study law, movie making and even medicine are not as fortunate. They have no benefit to big business so the funding is not as forthcoming.

Humanities as a study direction does not seem to find favour with those that traditionally support Educating our youth.

I decided that I will set up a fund fot this purpose was essential, We have now registered an official non profit in South Africa to make this happen. All we need is for you to help spread the word.

The website is under construction at Bursary Fund

The good news for Business in South Africa that 10% of your turnover donated toward education of our youth is fully tax deductible.

Guy McLaren has been married for ever(OK, only 19 years) He is a photographer and web developer based in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga and Pretoria, Gauteng South Africa

Why, oh why does everybody think that it is the big, noticeable things that change lives?

Every single day of your life you will do something that will enable someone to look in a different direction. You might not have set out to do that, indeed, you probably will not even know that you have done it.

We all make life changing decisions every day, whether it be by protecting the life of a blind man by taking him safely across the road or by simply letting someone learn by the example that we set.

There are 24 'I's in this intel - what a pity they weren't 'we's. Rather than 'what can I do?', try asking, honestly, 'what do they want?' (not 'need', that calls for a judgement you cannot make).

Every single day the small decisions affect every facet of lives. In fact I will go as far as to say the smallest decisions have the biggest effect on lives.

The 24 I's were because this intel is about me, It is not about you. It is about my struggle to find meaning and be useful to my fellow man.

I don't give a toss about your contribution, unless it serves to better my contribution.

The big things like education are far more likely to have a long term effect than a smile.

Change by its very nature occurs constantly, nothing remains constant and all change is self serving, We as humans are by nature selfish, greedy and wanton.

My contribution and essay were not about change for the sake of change, but about finding meaning finding a way to contribute, a way to make a difference to this world polluted with cynicsm, stupidity and selfishness.

PS When I started my journey with the Cancer associations, I asked questions first, What the need and what they want are two different things entirely. I know that my father would have much prefered a bed to lay his head down on after chemotherapy to recover before travelling the 80 km's home,(want not need)rather than a cheery smile and false encouragement.

The local Cancer association wants a facility like the one I was wanting to build, but the National cancer association needs not to have competition for funding.

The smiles I spread daily, the stopping my car to allow the old and infirm to cross the road safely every time, The little thing should come naturally, The big things though lead to many more small gestures.

The little Guy will win, maybe not in the original quest, but he will win

As a life-time cancer patient I have a very good in-sight into what is needed and what is wanted. As you have discovered, the competition for funds among cancer charities is fierce (and actually consumes a high percentage of the funds collected) - the same is true of just about anything in which charities are involved.

One of the ways that I have helped is the simple expedient of introducing my pets to patients. Initially this was not very welcome but, nowadays, is quite acceptable.

Care in the home was never brilliant (mostly through lack of information and fear of the disease) but by showing how I have coped with my illness and the physical limitations created by major surgery, many patients have been able to adjust their own lives to take advantage of aspects they had not been aware of.

Nothing of what I have done has been of 'major' proportion but my actions, hopefully, have been akin to those of a dripping tap wearing away the rock of ignorance and encouraging others to follow my lead.

The one thing that would make a huge difference to cancer patients and the poor would be if all the various charitable organisation could be brought under a single roof (for each benefit) in order to maximise their efficiency and minimise the number of people earning huge salaries as directors of charities. By removing the competition, donations would probably increase and the amount available for the needy would certainly be much greater. I'm sure many people do not donate because their choice of available charities is too wide.

I wish you success in your struggle to find meaning for yourself and be useful for your fellow man - it does sound, from what you have so eloquently written, as though you do not have far to go if you have not already arrived.

Make no mistake even the smallest gesture leaves ripples on the pond. Your dripping tap is far greater than total inaction.

Thank you for sharing your honest feelings in this story,Guy.
The discussions are all added benefits and I personally wish you well in your desires to help make South Africa a better place.
Keep up the good work.
Best to you.
Frederick

Thanks for the encouragement

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