Mutual Aid: The Art of Giving for a New KIND of Living
There’s an old movie I remember from my childhood called Pay it Forward (starring Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, and Kevin Spacey). It was about a young boy (Osment) who’s given an assignment by his social studies teacher (Spacey) to come up with an idea to change the world. Thinking of his troubled mother (Hunt), the boy comes up with this idea of “paying it forward” which, as the movie progresses, grows into a national phenomenon built on one kind act fueling the next kind act.
There was nothing magical about this boy or what he did. He was just another regular-degular person like you and I. But he had this extraordinary idea — an idea he felt strongly about — and this extraordinary idea blossomed into something bigger than he could’ve ever imagined. His extraordinary idea (once a mere school assignment) went on to change the world.
How cool would that be? More like, how cool is that? The movie itself is fictitious, but the concept doesn’t have to be.
The concept of mutual aid is a broad one. I still have trouble grasping the full scope of it’s meaning. It’s a term that has gained much notoriety over the years, especially during this worldwide pandemic. In a nutshell, mutual aid can be thought of us as neighbor helping neighbor. Often times, people associate acts of kindness with charitable acts, such as someone with money donating money to someone else with less money or an under-funded cause. I also used to believe in the act of ‘giving’ as one dimensional; as if it’s impossible for little ole me, a broke 20-something, to really make their mark in their community. But when I met my friend Sanyu Gichie, that whole belief system got flipped upside down.
I first (virtually) met Sanyu, a software developer for a major PC company, on my last day of work for the company. I was deep in my feelings, and extremely worried about life post-lay off. But out of the blue, someone pings me on Microsoft Teams, and it was Sanyu. She needed to ask me a question about an employee resource group, and I informed her that it was my last day and referred her to people that could assist her going forward. She asked me why I was leaving and I told her it was due to resource cuts. She expressed her sympathies and asked me what my career aspirations were. At the time, I honestly didn’t expect the conversation to go anywhere because I’d had many conversations like this before that never actually went anywhere after all was said and done. But at the end of our talk, she asked if I would consider volunteering some time as a marketing specialist for a new personal initiative of hers called DonateThis. I didn’t hesitate to say yes, and honestly… I couldn’t be happier.
So, what does this have to do with mutual aid?
I’m an aspiring young marketer and designer, with some entry-level industry experience in a highly competitive market, with no job. I needed to build a portfolio. Sanyu is a brilliant software developer who specializes in the wonderful world of I.T. who has a dream she needed help making come alive. She needed a creative person to join her team. We both desired to discover a way to leverage our gifts and talents to make some kind of difference in our community. Sanyu authored the dream, and I’m working as the illustrator.
DonateThis is a fundraising platform founded on the principals of mutual aid; designed as a catalyst to spark positive change within communities, near and far. Individuals can share that journey and grow from it, while allowing others to grow as a result of taking part in that experience.
DonateThis is more than just a software, it’s a dream manifested. It’s an idea founded by a young woman from Montego Bay, Jamaica, that was once literally told she’d never be successful because of the circumstances she was born into and the way that she spoke. This same woman went on to move to the States, attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a full academic scholarship, and work for a Fortune 500 company. This woman (who I know as Sanyu Gichie) believes there are no limits to anything you set your mind to, and is living proof of that. To her, DonateThis is not a business venture. In fact, it’s the polar opposite. It’s a not-for-profit tool that can be used to aid individuals in engaging in mutualistic exchanges such as donating, fundraising, and creating something constructive for their community — just as she leverages her hard work to help provide for her family back in Jamaica.
There are children down the street from you right now, who don’t have an adequate remote-learning experience because they don’t have the proper technology infrastructure. There is a family who has been laid off due to COVID-19 and needs help putting food on the table. There’s a small business that could use some assistance finding a way to stay afloat amidst this new normal. If COVID-19 has taught us anything this year, it’s the power of will. As humans, we all have the power to help our fellow neighbor. Even in political disarray, we can all band together as a society to make incremental changes to improve life and the way we live it without waiting for assistance from the top on down. If you have a dream of contributing to the betterment of society, follow through with it, execute it, and manifest it. Start a social phenomenon by doing something good today and share it with a friend, or a neighbor, and encourage them to do the same. Big or small, positive incremental changes can make impactful differences, making the world a better place, one initiative at a time.
So, remember:
Ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
So, I’ll leave you with this: What extraordinary thing will you do today?
