GIVING BACK

On any given day, I would have chosen to title this “What I would do if I was a billionaire,” however this will do for today. A preacher in the United States, Frank W. Gunsaulus, already utilized the same title but with the word millionaire and not billionaire during a sermon in the late 1800’s and it led to the birth of Illinois Institute of Technology. Nevertheless, the result wasn’t ingrained in his choice of title, but in the passion that drove his proposal and the openheartedness of that one man amongst many who heard it and received it. 

So, rather than bicker over proper article titles, let’s focus on what’s most important—possibilities.

You see, giving back to society is one of the most used modern day cliché terms, but as much as it is cliché it is also very necessary. It is necessary because it’s how we find our inner celestial nature. The very reason for the creation of mankind was to give back to creation. In Genesis, the command of God to man all revolved around giving to his new world. Multiply, nurture the earth, grow the world… Jesus repeated the same; telling us that as much as we’ve been given things in this life, we should also give (Matt 10:8), with further instructions that it is more blessed to give (Acts 20:35). Because when we give, we do the one thing that is truly unique to only God, which is giving as an existential purpose.

Anyway, back to the subject, I remember how I’d write down a list of things I would do if I became a billionaire, like Elon Musk kind of rich, so much that I’d question if one person could really do it all. Afterwards, there was always the bigger question of what if I never did become a billionaire or a millionaire, does it mean all of those things would never happen? 

I never really could bring myself to answer that.

But now, with all that’s before me, I must.

Two things are clear though: 1.) I’m not a billionaire, and 2.) There are people reading this that might be billionaires, could be billionaires in the nearest future or simply know someone who is a billionaire. So, all in all this piece might still achieve its goal eventually.

Hence, I begin.

If I could, I’d focus on three things—education, health and general welfare. 

It’s always been the plan. One foundation to meet all three needs. The vision behind the soon-to-be-created Patty-Abbey Foundation stems from two great women who played pivotal roles in my life. The first, my biological mother, Patricia, taught me to put others first. Though incapacitated in that she couldn’t walk after a grave accident, she never hesitated to ensure the needs of more vulnerable people were attended to before hers. And she never changed until her last breath. The second, my step-mom, Abiodun, practically lived by the same motto. She spent most of her life as a nurse, working round the clock, not for the perks because they weren’t many, but for her love for humanity. The same genuine fondness for general welfare that she extended to my family from the very day she became a part of it. 

These two women are the principal reason why I feel indebted to a world that we might all think don’t deserve it. But that’s the thing about deserving a thing, who can really be sure? Out of every hundred folks, there’s always one who’s never done any ill yet suffers what the other ninety nine might be suffering. For such a one, do we abandon him or her? Or do we create a means to not only help him or her but as many among the ninety nine that an effort to save them could completely change the trajectory of their lives in the positive?

That’s exactly what I had in mind when thinking about Patty-Abbey and its motto: We Care, We Love, We Believe. It’s designed to be inclusive, non-discriminatory, with only one goal in mind—to bring relief wherever relief is truly needed. Because while no one man can cure the sickness infesting the entire world, we can change one man, and one man can change the next, until all men are changed. Or at least given the potential to effect the change their lives desperately require. This is the dream that is Patty-Abbey.

Like I stated, the plan hovers around education, health and general welfare. Achievable plans. 

The first involves creating a fund to support bright minds from the most vulnerable societies in the quest to gain qualitative education. Depending on where these candidates are from, the medium of assessment could defer, but the essence is to grant opportunities to those who need it to be their possible best but can never attain it based on their present circumstances. Again, this is cliché because there’s a lot of funding already going into this; however we must ask ourselves what a lot means. Jesus fed five thousand folks yet that didn’t mean there weren’t still hungry folks in the towns and villages. There’s a limit to what one person or existing funding protocol can do; that’s where others have to step in. And education is something I’ve always held dear to my heart. If I could I would have gone all the way till I was a professor of molecular biology or the likes at some top institute combating world diseases; it was my dream, but the lack of funds halted it. Therefore, if it’s possible for me to help someone else go even if not all the way, but at least as far as they need to go to stand a life in chance then it’d be worth it. This would all be worth it. In addition, this also includes research and every other avenue that improves learning and the world’s human capital. All fall under this category.

Next, health. I’ve always had a soft spot for kids, especially for sick kids. Terminally sick kids. The plan is to create a never ending fund to help treat this set of kids. I understand the question, why not everyone? Well, as I said, one person can’t solve all the problems in the world. So we take a slice and work with it. This is our slice, to help as many sick kids with this program. Assist in bills to cover their treatment, in new and innovative research to find possible cures or alternative management techniques, and in trying to give them a life that could make all their initial pains seem more like a needle in a haystack. This is important to me because I’ve had my own bit of autoimmune bouts. For two years, it kept me from my possible best, but thank God I’ve been managing it well for a while now. So I know how far behind one can get when one’s body can’t work at the same pace as the mind. Especially at that young age when one should be dreaming wildly and living happily. 

While this program may also cover other different cases, per usual, it’s important to state that this was the main aim for it.

Third, general welfare. It is important to note that no one can truly end all the suffering in the world. Even God couldn’t, at least not in this earth, perhaps the next. Jesus clearly said that the poor will always be among us. Meaning we can’t completely make everyone’s life trouble-free; we can’t totally eradicate needs and the need of many to see them serviced for free; the most we can do is be there when needed the most. To provide succor enough to repeal someone’s ailing moments. And that’s what this deals with. How do we deal with world hunger? In Africa? In South East Asia? In war-torn cities like Gaza, the nation of Ukraine and some cities in Russia and Israel where innocents have been made collateral damage? Or anywhere else in the world? We can only try and hope it’s enough for a generation. 

That’s why I propose food centers and shelters called Hope Centre, stationed in every city, privately run but with some sort of governmental collaboration, to ensure no one gets to sleep out in the cold or with an empty stomach. This might seem impossible and very capital intensive, but when you realize how very blessed many are and how very important giving hope to others is, you’ll see just as I do that it is possible. Beyond this, we can also target communities individually. For instance, create a portal where communities can submit a query stating their present challenges and after proper evaluation and proofs, such needs are met.

Believe me when I say people are suffering in the world. I see it every day. I live with it and amongst it, so I know. And personally, I don’t see the reason behind our being different if we can’t help make a difference in people’s lives. Different in every sense of the world; not just being saved spiritually when others are destitute, but also being comfortable when others are desolate, or being happy when others are sad. The essence of living on the opposite side is to appreciate what we have and to truly accept the need for others to gain what you’ve had.

This is why there is a craving in my spirit to do all this though unfortunately my pocket can’t carry the weight of its fulfilment. So, possibly there is someone out there who can. Possibly there are a lot of someones who can. Possibly this can be not just my dream and passion but yours also. Because in essence, it’s not about who is doing the deed, but about the deed itself being done. Stars don’t care if you can accurately point out their names once they appear, all they do care about is that when the night sky appears they appear as well, giving light to those in need of it. 

God wants us to be stars; He wants us to own a life purpose bigger than us. Bigger than communities. This can be one. It doesn’t have to be Patty-Abbey, but at least let it change one life, then two, ten, a hundred, a thousand, a million. Maybe it’s not really important that we all become billionaires or millionaires, maybe it’s enough if one of us can help make the lives of the rest of us promising beyond the current pains. 

Maybe that one person can be you.

I hope it is. I hope this doesn’t stay a dream. I hope to see it live and breathe. I hope to be a part of it. Regardless, seeing it happen trumps all other desires of mine. Seeing mankind rescued to the very minute extent to which we can successfully achieve would be the greatest thing ever for me. 

So if you’re reading this, I ask, what would be the greatest thing ever for you?