Coming across the prompt, I could just think, "here's Hive Reachout asking us to talk about Reachout and Humanitarian Service." Sounds like a coincidence I guess, but I believe the community is much up to its vision and purpose of doing the good work of reaching out and serving humanity. And that, is one big, major and great thing to do. Hence, it's beyond just a prompt for me, it's an opportunity and encouragement to share much more in the purpose of this community, which stands for an amazing course.
Reachout and Humanitarian Service! While the two may sound to be likely synonymous, there's a thin line that distinguishes them. I wish to explore this first before going into my discourse on the prompt.
"Reachout" delves more into the context of extending a helping hand or some form of support to needy ones. This could be in terms of resources, materials of different kinds and down to emotional ways of communication to such person in need, providing listening ears and offering guidance in cases needed. Reachout occurs in the form of mentorship, mental health and community outreach programs.
"Humanitarian Service" on its part looks into the aspects of assisting and providing various forms of aid and support to communities or individuals who are met with the adverse effects of disasters, crises or even poverty. These services allow the provision of basic necessities as medical care or support, food, shelter, clothing. The efforts here are majorly carried out by organisations, NGOs, possibly government agencies to address the issues of suffering, encourage the protection of human lives and dignity, and ensure the promotion of well-being in vulnerable situations and emergencies.
While the two might hold their little differences—"reachout" being more of a personal and supportive effort and "humanitarian service" being more of a corporate effort focused on addressing emergency cases to alleviate suffering—one thing that closely knits them is the desire and will to "help others."
The desire to help others is something that has had a passionate appeal within me, and will always do. I mean, what's the point of having resources or living in excess and not having the will and desire to share with others? It's such a purposeless and meaningless life to me. We all may have different different purposes and desires in life, but one that I consider should bind us in perfect agreement—irrespective of race, background, ethnicity, religion—is that of "helping others." It's such a fulfilling life. And through this, I've come to agree with the saying that "givers never lack."
I can across a post a certain time that says, "it's not the rich that give, but the kind." How true did I find that statement. This is to address the wrong perspective that it is when one has plenty that they can give. No! True help and giving even starts from the little one has before the plenty comes, because when the plenty does come, it's the current character on ground that will reflect—or an advanced version. Through this, I guess I could say I've been involved in the service of reaching out and helping others in the little way I could.
In this little way, I've been able to meet some basic and little needs of some individuals I came across in life; some known, others unknown. And I believe helping shouldn't be a subject of the known or unknown to us, but about the humanity of the person. So, I find reachout and humanitarian services highly appealing. It's always touching to see such projects around.
These efforts have a way of making the society a better place and reshaping the individuals in need. Absence of such supports and interventions could be said to have made many a nuisance to the society today. However, when these efforts and supports are radically made available, the victims and needy feel a sense of worth and belonging. Medical healthcare will help protect their lives, educational intervention will set them in the right course to knowledge and literacy, supply of resources will give them a better feel towards life—with other forms of efforts as well.
This is my entry for the Hive Reachout weekly prompt 43.