“Hello Sis, please can you assist me, my baby and I have not eaten since morning” said one woman as my sister and I walked close to the park to board a car back home, my sister opened her hand bag and gave her the only 500 naira there, and this money was supposed to foot our transportation fare. I got angry, because I had earlier told my sister to buy an ice cream for me but she refused saying there is no extra money for that and now she did not only give the money kept for our transportation to a woman whom she didn’t even know if she has been lying or not, but also, we are going to trek home and home is not in anyway close, about miles away. As we walk home together, I tried to understand why she did what she did and as she explains I begin to remember how my mum had always attended to strangers needs more than her own need, I began to assume that this character is hereditary.
So that night before we got home, I was already very exhausted, I struggled to have my bath and off to bed, I didn’t remember to even eat. As I was resting, I reflected on many people in my life who in one way or the other has exhibited this kind of character, I then remembered my uncle who is from the background I grew up, how he has always been helping people then, attending to their needs, paying their school fees etc. most of these people are not even related to him and this gesture was so familiar with the people around me while I was growing up because I have watched my grandma, the woman who raised me attended to people’s needs and this people have no possibility of reciprocating or paying back. Some will even speak ill of her and she will still lend a helping hand regardless. So, in my deep thought and reflection, I concluded that just maybe there are simply being human and I resolved to behave like this as well.
I drive so much joy anytime I led a helping hand to someone or a group of people knowing that I am living a life of my family and people around me. I was always looking out for how and where to help. In school, I will help put up a program using my time and resources and I often see payment as a taboo when some people want to appreciate me for my little effort because that was not the tradition that shaped me. I prefer to use my resources instead because I feel that the ideal thing to do.
So, in helping and assisting people, I went further to contributing and helping communities, organizations, group of persons among others. So, I would say that I started volunteerism long before I even know the meaning of the word. And through volunteerism, I have learned many skills some that I don’t even use today, it gave me a great network in all the states of Nigeria and within Africa and even in the diaspora, I didn’t even set out to be An On Air Personality or even a tech (graphic designer, photographer etc), but volunteerism afforded me such opportunity to learned and acquire such skills. And really most of the breakthrough I have had in my life came through the contact and network or skills I gained through volunteerism. I am not sure I will stop volunteering even as I get older because I feel it is a way of life and it is simply being human.