‘It boggles the mind why some persons take so much pleasure in robbing their fellow man of their possessions, their good name, or their peace of mind, when doing good for others can be considerably much more fulfilling.’
One of the most busy and successful entrepreneurs in this country, Mr. Sattaur Gafoor, told me recently that what gives him most joy in the world is time spent with his three-year-old granddaughter who lives in Barbados.

This gentleman, who could be found in his office at unholy hours, even during weekends and holidays, finds time to give back, taking personal interest, to the vulnerable in society, especially through the Small Business Development Fund (SBDF), which is the fructification of his father’s vision.

A religious organisation needed assistance and one call to Mr. Toolsie Persaud elicited instant promise of that help.

Chris of JOSHIL, LEN’S, Kamal Kanhai of Kanhai’s Guyana Electrical Agency Ltd, Paul Chan-A-Sue of Ansa McAl, Ramsay Ali of Sterling Products, Ian Ramdeo of GIFTLAND, Vic Insanally of Guyenterprise, Bish Panday, whose contributions to the society, especially to the sporting world – and cricket specifically, Terry Holder – an endless list of overwhelmingly time-constrained entrepreneurs who recognise a great truth – that blessings shared multiply. This is the message of every religion, and the genesis of zakaat, seva, tithing.

But giving back to society needs not be in a materialistic sense, because a helping hand to someone in need could take myriad forms – and here the lesson of the widow’s mite comes to mind, or someone helping a disabled person on their way (literally and figuratively).

When I was a very little girl one of my favourite poems was of a little boy helping a very old lady. I can’t remember the context, nor the tale behind the poem, nor the poem itself, but I remember the joy a lonely old woman, who had lost her only son (I think at sea) felt because a caring little boy reached out to make her feel special for a moment.

The seasons of Eid, Easter, Phagwah and other religious holidays entail much preparation – cleaning houses and yards, giving to charities, attending churches, mandirs and mosques; but what of the rest of the year?

Persons attend mandir, take offerings, bow down to the deities, and recite sacred mantras, then they return home and are disrespectful to their parents and elders, neglect their children, abuse their spouses (this includes nagging, gossiping with the neighbour instead of taking care of the family, and wasting the family income on frivolities). Some miscreants even hit their parents, which ranks in the same equation of child abuse, incest, and murder.

It boggles the mind why some persons take so much pleasure in robbing their fellow man of their possessions, their good name, or their peace of mind, when doing good for others can be considerably much more fulfilling.

I remember one Diwali night passing the incandescently-lit home of a bank manager, who took a great deal of pleasure in levying on the properties of unfortunate people who fell on a bout of misfortune instead of restructuring a payment schedule that would have enabled a family to keep their home, and I wondered where is God’s justice that he could bring so much darkness in the lives of the vulnerable while his life shone with prosperity.

God’s justice, however, may not be immediate nor decipherable by mere mortals, but it is extant and enduring. Within months that gentleman’s life was also plunged into darkness by immutable forces.

There is blood on the hands of some persons who attend church with regularity and preach about redemption and sin, then turn around and arm susceptible young men and tell them that all their problems would be solved if they rob and kill, because somebody owes them and they should not work for their daily bread.

Most often the victims are just normal citizens in the society, but the immeasurable grief and loss caused to their families and communities is unforgivable, because the deviants are not merely those who pulled the triggers, but those who loaded the brains of the perpetrators with hatred.

No-one is completely evil, and only Jesus, Mohamed, Ram, and other incarnations of the Lord on earth were free from sin, but our human frailties should not compromise our humanity, because it is what separates us from the denizens of the jungle.

People make choices, and those choices determine one’s individual characteristics, not the other way around, because we were all, except in rare cases, granted the gift of reason, and that gift predetermines the choices of our actions. One may very well find that actions are like a boomerang, and whether that boomerang projects blessings or not is not dependent on observing the ceremonials of a religious season, but on the recognition that goodness and families are extant dynamics, and that living life is in itself a religion.

In March of this year the Guyenterprise family celebrated the birthday of Founder and CEO, Victor Compton Insanally – a legendary altruist; as well as the 41st anniversary of Guyenterprise. Happy birthday and congratulations, Vic. Many venture into uncharted territory and attempt to blaze trails, but only an elite few stay the course, as you have done.

The contributions of the pioneers of this land, who displayed grit and determination in the face of adversities and tribulations to chart the course, in equal measure with our leaders, of this country’s development dimensions should be granted due cognisance, respect and honour.

Because they have not faltered. Many Guyanese were – either directly or indirectly, provided the wherewithal to live, and that, too, is living life for others, as in the instance where a grandfather sacrifices precious time with his beloved granddaughter to create the configurations whereby others may ultimately provide a future for their own grandchildren.

So our actions, good or bad, are not seasonal things, but transcend the parameters of time and space to impact the lives of generations.