Give Back To The Community You Have Taken From
A story is told of a man who did not like the word “give”. He fell into a pit and all attempts to bring him out only succeeded when he was asked to ‘take my hand’ which he quickly did.
In a community where giving is a problem, one begins to wonder how to broach a subject like giving back to the community which you have robbed of one thing or the other.
Companies emit gases into the air polluting it and causing the people who live around there to suffer untold hardships. Respiratory track diseases, you name them! Other companies use up space for construction, blocking waterways, cutting down trees that would have otherwise helped in sequestrating carbon, destroying species that will never be known by future generations and have no qualms of conscience to do anything for the community. The list goes on to companies disposing of their waste in the most unsustainable ways. Dumping waste into the high sea and leaving aqua life at the mercy of concentrated toxic chemicals and poisonous gases. The communities where these companies are set up have none of their sons or daughters working in these except for such jobs as cleaners and harvesters. They are robbed of their little money to pay for services which keep going higher because even the market women will no longer sell at the same price, after all, there is a bigger buyer, they would say! The list continues but what happens when it comes to giving back to these communities? We wonder how many of our local companies do consider this. All they care about is seeing the figures double and triple in the accounts.
Business is supposed to be conducted following some business ethics, ensuring that the rights of the people are not trampled upon and that the natural environment is secure. How many companies bother about corporate social responsibility? The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) started way back in 1953. It has evolved over time and companies are increasingly aware of what it means to conduct business within a certain code of conduct. Most companies, however, still turn a deaf ear to the fact that they have to give back to the communities they are taking from. If only they could contribute a little of their enormous gains to the society, why will children continue attending schools under mango trees in this century or in classrooms made of sorghum stems? If they cared about the society they have taken from, why would women die in childbirth because there are no hospitals to bring them too? Or people die carelessly because they could not afford an aspirin to cool a crushing headache or rush to a nearby hospital to be attended to? Why would people still hoard money in houses or why would people suffer this excruciating heat because there are no trees to provide shades?
It is time to give back to them who have given so much. It is time to give back to Mother Nature. Companies, industries, institutions, look to supporting initiatives that go with your social responsibility. Build schools, hospitals, support the building of road networks, support the spreading of information on sustainable environmental management.
