When people who claim to extend the hand of Kindness comes with a lot of noise and publicity which some times is more expensive than the Kindness they claim to give, one questions the true motive of their visit.
Did they truly come for the sake of kindness or is kindness just a means to a certain selfish end.
In our time, being in need almost seems like a permanent loss of one's dignity. Those who come to help takes different angles of photo shots and videos for their massively followed social media handles paying little or no attention to the future implications such exposure may have on the dignity of the recipients — and even their children.
Whenever I see videos and images of elderly men and women, or young boys and girls, captured in their weakest moments simply because they needed help, my heart cringes. I find myself wondering about their future. After all, what truly remains for a person once their dignity is stripped away?
They become objects of silent laughter within their community. Their children may be mocked by friends, classmates, and colleagues. The little dignity they once had slowly erodes — and for what? ₦5,000? ₦10,000? Perhaps ₦100,000.
Their only “crime” was that they were in need.
Life moves in phases. The stage at which you meet someone today may very well be the lowest point they will ever experience. While helping others is beautiful and commendable, it should never come at the expense of their dignity.
Every human being possesses dignity and the right to preserve it. That dignity does not disappear simply because their bank account is empty.
If you run a foundation and need documentation to show your board members or partners that your work is genuine, that is understandable and even commendable. But such records belong within the walls of accountability — not on social media platforms. They should be preserved with the utmost respect for privacy.
When kindness is constantly displayed in front of cameras and broadcasted for social media applause, it often ceases to be kindness. More often than not, it becomes business: give a small portion to the poor, record it, post it, gain views and public admiration, and in return earn far more than was given.
True kindness rarely announces itself with noise and celebration. It works quietly, restoring dignity and lifting people one step at a time. Those who receive such help carry gratitude in their hearts without ever becoming spectacles for the world.
And truly, is this not the kind of kindness that the Bible recommends?