A story is told in the Bible of how the disciples murmured about the pouring of a very precious Ointment on Jesus’ feet. They argued that the Ointment would have better been sold for much money, and given to the poor but, Jesus in His response, replied that the woman’s deed was commendable and worth emulating because His being with them was temporary but, the poor will always be around them.
Again in the Old Testament, God saw the vulnerable and helpless condition of the needy and specifically gave instructions to the privileged to extend their magnanimity to the poor.
In today’s society, the less privileged are often dreaded as a scourge in their environment. Many a times, they are treated by the privileged with such disdain; making them feel they are responsible for their situation. Such treatments include: restriction of some of their rights like the right to associate, belong and contribute ideas in their immediate place of belonging. Many of them are often snubbed, ignored and avoided, perhaps to prevent a spread of their misfortune on others.
Those of them who are petty traders are not patronized irrespective of how affordable their products are, and how close, neat or receptive their stalls/business places are.
Moreso, the less privileged are often victims of stigmatization, ostracization and mind-breaking policies of the privileged. They are the ones who suffer the brunt of every mistake made by the government; the recently-introduced method of expunging Tricyclists from Plaza is a huge example of this. They are the onees on their foot, moving here and there to get a Keke going their destination, whilst the few Lawmakers cruise on their cars.
The less privileged form the crowd of patients in General Hospital wards, government schools and other public agencies, when their privileged counterparts can afford to school and medicate abroad. The list of this inhumanity is endless but in order to really hit the nail on the head, George Orwell noted in his ‘Animal Farm’ that although all animals are equal, some of them are more equal than others. Likewise in this bid, some less privileged are more privileged than others.
A typical example of a less privileged man or woman is one who cannot help his/herself, and has no one to help him/her either. An example is the crippled man Jesus healed by the pool of Bethsaida who confessed not having anyone to take him to take him to the pool by the stirring of the water by the Angel.
Most of our society’s less privileged fall in the category of the above-mentioned man and live at the mercy of passers-by and few well-wishers. A few of them live nowhere but, manage to crawl out of their gloom every morning to beg for alms which some have invested in selling of articles like recharge cards, pure water and others, but they are not patronized. The privileged around them have refused to patronize them and their counterparts cannot either, because they have no need for these items.
Individuals need to be more interested in the less privileged in the society. It is true that organizations dealing with vulnerable people are in existence but, the question is how many are they, and how can these crippled, blind, deaf and dumb people approach them unaided?
Until the welfare of the less privileged is viewed as a collective responsibility, we will still find it difficult to identify with the needy around us. The way forward is for individuals to adopt a hospitable nature that would enable them see the needy as people who should be cared for and not ostracised. Little acts of enterprise by these less fortunate neighbours of ours should be encouraged by our patronage, to give them a sense of belonging.
Communities should also team up to help by creating centres where the homeless, vulnerable and helpless can be attended to. By so doing, people will be encouraged to volunteer to help the homes financially and in other ways. To really achieve success in this bid, outreach programme should be organised in high-density areas to identify people who need various treatment so that they can be given appropriate attention.
In all, the aim of individuals, organizations, communities and government agencies having the zeal to help the needy should be to train the less privileged women and youths, especially in the rural areas on practical skill acquisition programmes for value re-orientation, wealth creation, self-reliance, crime reduction and sustainable living in view of the global economic meltdown and, to educate, train and provide a home for the orphans, destitute and street girls in our society to counsel, train and bring them back to the society as signs of hope and direction to others in similar situations everywhere.
Finally, the less privileged are eligible members of the society deserving equal rights and privileges enjoyed by the privileged hence, they should be given that sense of belonging deserving of an origin of a particular place.
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