Empowerment over Charity

Empowerment is different from charity, empowering others means you're equipping them to be able to stand alone and be able to help others. Charity solves short term problems, which will resurface in the long term, while Empowerment stops the re-occurrence of these problems.

I had a friend ask me to help him create a bill using Excel. I do this every time without asking for money but I was afraid he was getting used to it. It’s a matter of time before his boss will know he hasn’t been the one producing the bill he has been submitting. I was hesitant because I didn't want to create a dependent being. He's a smart guy and had the motivation and willpower to learn.

I took some time and put together a curriculum based on his learning style, which was mostly self-directed.

When I brought the curriculum, he said he already finished it. I gave it to him anyway instead of wasting it.

I told him "you need to learn how to learn". He took the lesson and was able to provide a Bill at the end of the programme and the last I heard was that he’s been promoted at work.

He did this and recently came back saying that I should teach him how to use some QS apps, some of which I don’t know how to use but am in the process of learning how to use.

He's still not independent yet, but he has more tools in his belt. He's ready for more!

Empowerment is helping others learn how to stand on their own and not constantly begging for crumbs.

The best way to help people who come from nothing is to give them a way out. Sometimes if we are not careful with how we help people, they become dependent on us, and when we stop helping them they will starve. I believe in empowering people by giving them what they need to stand on their own feet.

There is a saying "Teach me how to fish, don't give me the fish". Sometimes giving things out to people on a platter isn't helping. Once they exhaust what you gave them, they will come back for more. The best thing one can do is to support them in a way they can stand on their own. Work for their own money and be independent.

Sometimes people love it when people come to them for help. They get some satisfaction from receiving praise and applause from the public. Teaching people or empowering people to be able to stand on their own will spell doom to them. The praises they receive will stop coming and their Ego get deflated.

If this is the case, one is doing himself a lot of injustice by believing such. When you empower a single person to stand on his own, you are indirectly helping 100 people. He has a family that depends on him, and through him, more people can be helped. Also, constant requests for help will lead to frustration. You are saving yourself from constant headaches by empowering others.

Another reason why some people who rather give than teach how to get, is that they fear being replaced by their students. Cases of a young subordinate taking over from someone who trained them are many. After they are well established in the field, they tend to push those who teach them out.

The best way to solve this is by not resting on your laurels, try to get better than you were yesterday. Have something tangible to bring to the table, prove yourself to be a valuable asset to the company or whatever it is.

However, empowering others doesn't necessarily have to be in a field you're in. A banker sponsoring 10 students to a football academy is a form of empowerment, buying tools for a hairstylist or Mason is another form of empowerment, giving scholarships to students, building a training centre and many more.

Conclusion

There's no level you can get to before deciding to empower others. In a little way, you can help, do it. Inviting friends who are willing to work or ready to be committed to joining the site is another way. You are not too poor or small to empower others. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

Thanks for Reading! 🤗💚🤗