27/08/2026
Must Read!!
Emergency Assistance Should Not Become The Entire Definition Of Helping.
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
11:08 pm
I've sat for some days now and decided to give my two cents on emergency assistance.
There are two ways to help someone:
1. Satisfy The Immediate Want.
You could give someone a bag of rice, money, clothes, food,
Or other temporary relief. That individual will appreciate it, but eventually, the rice finishes, the money is spent, and the person comes back again.
2. Pay More Attention To The Underlying Need.
Help that person or whosoever to acquire a skill, start a small business, get tools to work with, pay for education, or create an opportunity that can generate income.
The second type of help might probably not produce the same instant gratitude, but it has a much greater chance of changing someone's life. Some forms of generosity can create dependency when the giver repeatedly solves symptoms without addressing the problem. A politician may give people what they desperately want today because it creates an immediate appreciation. "I GIVE YOU FOOD, SO YOU REMEMBER ME."
And that's why I always say, "we've a lot more of caregivers, but with a politician mindset."
And it don't necessarily mean, everyone who give out rice or other temporary relieves are trying to stay in control, but a person who genuinely wants to transform someone's life might ask:
"Why do you keep needing food from me, and what can I help you build so that you can provide for yourself?"
But unfortunately, this question is barely asked. Not every gift is a manipulation, and not every giver has a political motives, y'all don't get me wrong. But we should examine whether our assistance actually changes people's circumstances.
"ARE WE HELPING PEOPLE BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO BECOME INDEPENDENT, OR BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO REMAIN DEPENDENT ON OUR HELP?
As a person, if you become dependent on someone for a help, I can guarantee you that it won't last.
Because eventually, the giver will start to see you(The Receiver) as a liability or someone who is circumventing the means of being independent. There's an adage that says, "I don't want to always hand you a fish, I want to teach you how to fish." Some will rather take the fish and skip the teaching of becoming a sole provider for themselves. One can't be blame for that always. A bag of rice can solve problem today. Capital for a small business might help someone feed their family for months. A skill, equipment, or a sustainable opportunity could potentially change their economic situation for years. None of those help are inherently wrong. The problem is when relief is the beginning and the end of our thinking, that's where our minds get corrupted. "Good help doesn't only ask, 'what do you need today?' It also asks, 'How can I help you grow so you won't need this tomorrow?'"
Let's take a closer look at these two people:
SYZ: "Here's a bag of rice. Come back when it finishes."
ZYS: "Here's something to help you start selling. Let's see how you do, and I'll help you improve."
SYZ will receive more appreciation today, while ZYS may create more transformation tomorrow.
Again, I don't mean that every person who gives out rice, money, clothes, or other gifts has bad intentions. FAR FROM IT. Many people genuinely want to help. We shouldn't be afraid of people becoming independent from our assistance. We should celebrate it. Because genuine love for people should not make us comfortable with their permanent dependence.
So, yes, give the rice when the people are hungry.
Give the money when there is an emergency.
Give the clothes when someone needs them.
BUT IF YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GO BEYOND TEMPORARY RELIEF, GO BEYOND IT.
You know why? Because you will be doing God's will, and that's a blessing.
The goal is not to stop responding to people's wants, is to cater to their needs. They don't need another temporary solution, but a pathway toward becoming self-sufficient. But someone might ask; has the receiver ever asked the giver for help to become independent? Or they just flow with the giver mindset? Because if our assistance only keeps solving the same problem repeatedly, perhaps we haven't really solved the problem, we only postponed it. The goal shouldn't always be, "How much can I give?" Sometimes the better question is: "What can I give that will continue producing value after I'm gone?" Stuffs like, a sewing machine, a barber kit, farming equipment, vocational training, business capital, educational support, professional mentorship, or access to an opportunity. These things may not look as impressive as handling someone a large bag of rice. But sometimes, the quiet investment produces the louder transformation. Yes, SOME politician has afforded a couple of students scholarships, empower our mothers with business loans, did some great things that change some people life today. And those politicians falls in the minority. Some people measure their impact by how many people that keeps coming back to them for help. Personally, I think it should be measured by how many people you helped get to a point where they can stand without you. That's something one can measure as success.
To sum up everything, don't stop helping. Don't stop doing what your heart leads you to do. BUT emergency assistance should not always be the definition of helping. If you are in the position to change someone life potentially, do it. Don't stop at just giving out temporary relief. They won’t last. But a help that will put someone in a place where they can be able to afford for themselves without reaching back to you should be our focus. It's All Love ❤️.
