Giving is receiving a most rewarding gift

Shavuot, the day we were given the gift of the Torah, the day we Jews learnt how powerful giving really was, became personal on 12 November 2015. It was the day my world changed and The Angel Network was born.

At the time, there was no way of knowing the impact that starting a non-profit organisation would have on so many people in our country. Though our aim from the start has been to help where help is needed by giving a hand up as opposed to a handout, in 2015, words like COVID-19, vaccinations, Zoom, and a total collapse of the grid weren’t even on our radar.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, and while we continued to give, it became all about handouts to prevent millions from dying of starvation. For many of us, COVID-19 and the joke that is Eskom has been inconvenient and uncomfortable to say the least. However, for the majority of South Africans, it has spelled disaster in the form of unemployment and abject poverty. Never before has giving been more imperative.

At the end of 2015, I became disillusioned with our country, and realised I could leave South Africa, stay and complain, or find a way to make a difference. The words of Mahatma Gandhi resonated at the time: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” They were what propelled me forward, as did Gandhi’s saying, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

I have since realised that over the past seven and a half years, I received more in giving than in receiving. Giving not only helps others, it inspires those around you to do the same. It teaches us responsibility, and cultivates a sense of self-worth.

Making a difference is far easier than one thinks. It’s not all about making a financial difference, it’s about giving of one’s time, attention, being a listening ear, or a shoulder to lean on.

Over the years, we have met the most incredible human beings who have practically nothing but give with their whole heart, which is truly humbling.

We have learnt about generosity of spirit from community leaders who spend their time improving the lives of others for no other reason but because it’s the right thing to do.

These remarkable people, who are our heroes, contribute to making the world a better place by improving the lives of others.

We have been astounded at how aware our youth are about giving back. There’s no doubt that this awareness is instilled in them from an early age by outstanding role models. Barmitzvah and Batmitzvah children have organised winter collections, distributed home baked goodies, driven collections for school shoes, and run soup kitchens.

Teenagers have made soup packs, volunteered at telethons, and packed hundreds of Christmas/back-to-school backpacks. Age is just a number when it comes to giving, and it has been heartwarming to watch kids as young as 10 wanting to be the change we want to see in the world.

Research has shown that giving leads to greater happiness for the giver. We all have the ability to “be the change”.

No matter how much or how little you can give, giving always has the power to touch a life and affect positive change. Through giving, you add to others’ lives and in so doing, add to your own. There’s no doubt that through the cycle of giving, the world becomes a more humane place.

Giving should never be seen as a chore or an obligation, but rather something that’s done voluntarily with a full heart. Giving fosters co-operation between people, and is part of tikkun olam (healing the world).

There’s no greater joy than seeing the pride in a mother’s eyes as she watches her child graduating, knowing that this child will change the trajectory of their family for generations to come.

Helping others changes their life trajectory in tiny or massive ways. I cannot explain the joy I feel in ensuring that hundreds of thousands of people receive a hot, nutritious meal monthly; in establishing a sewing academy and a bakery and providing dozens of women with a livelihood; and developing a vegetable garden.

We’ve been most fortunate to connect with kind hearted, supportive, and generous people who give willingly and with no thought of return. Giving evokes a sense of gratitude, and can be both contagious and addictive.

Shavuot is a time for happiness, family, food, and giving, and in the true spirit of Shavuot and ubuntu, you too can enjoy the gift of giving. It doesn’t take much, other than approaching those needing our help from a non-judgemental perspective by accepting people exactly where they are in life and offering them the hand up they so desperately need.

As our late, great statesman Nelson Mandela once said, “There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.”

If you would like to give to The Angel Network, visit www.fundnation.org/theangelnetwork. Every R10 donated provides five meals at one of our soup kitchens. Using the Fundnation platform doubles all donations.

• Glynne Wolman is the founder of The Angel Network