The Nonchalant Giver
This episode's topic reminds me of a time that I dared to do what was once nearly perceived as abominable in Christianity, which was to openly question how church donations in the form of tithe and offerings are being spent. I will never forget in a hurry the horrible way most people looked at me in that instant. As in, if looks could kill, I would drop dead immediately after the question was out of my mouth.
The funny part about that scenario was that most of the people who showed disdain towards me for asking the question were the poor dudes who basically donated from the little they could muster. So you could imagine my surprise when the people who were supposed to be more concerned about how their money is being spent are the ones acting as if I just murdered the priest.
Now, it is humane of one to make donations. If there is one lesson life has taught me, it is to know that just when you think you are having a shitty life, there is someone out there close to you who is having it worse. Yes, circumstances have taught me that the life we live is more or less a matter of survival, an "every man for himself" dogma; however, showing kindness to others is essential. That's why I make donations, to show kindness, to be humane.
As far as ensuring the money gets used for what it's meant for, well, there is only a little one can do about it. If the donation is for a person, instead of putting it into a general purse, one can approach the person and donate right away. In that way, greedy middlemen are phased out. But that's only possible in some cases.
Recently, I was discussing the plights of orphans and orphanage homes in the country with a friend. What triggered the discussion was a man who posted online the wonderful times he had at the orphanage home where he grew up. The discussion got serious as it coincided with the airing of TY Bello's documentary on Mama Ẹkúndayọ̀, a woman who dedicated her life to raising orphans and the less privileged.
I remember telling my friend that now that Mama is dead, I won't be surprised if the orphanage and care home she dedicated her life to regress. The reason for that is that those who will be catering to the homes may not share the same passion and dedication towards taking care of others like Mama did.
Look, when one visits popular orphanage homes, one is most likely going to meet someone already there before sharing gifts. Before leaving the place, someone else may join with his or her own gifts. However, the reality of those homes is that the majority of those gifts don't get to the intended folks for unbelievable reasons. In fact, a worker in an orphanage home was once caught on camera advising a new staff member to take as much as she wanted from the gift brought for the orphans. Her reason? "Àwọn ọmọ tó l'obi gan o jẹun to dára tó won. Ṣé wọn lórí meji ni?"
In conclusion, regular follow-up is necessary to make sure a donation is used for its intended purpose. This is because an average human is greedy and will misappropriate funds if he or she knows no one gets to ask about how the funds are being spent. Holding people accountable for what they are given and asking on a regular basis will go a long way to ensuring some form of fair spending of donations.
