Personally I have always been skeptical about giving. I grew up in Mumbai in a very religious, conservative and humble family. We didn’t have a lot, sometimes we didn’t even have money to buy food. But my parents never missed the opportunity to give. They donated generously at temples and to the beggars outside the temples often. This behaviour was very confusing to me at the time. I had so many questions:

• If we say it is wise that God helps those who help themselves, then why don’t we help ourselves first?
• Why do we give to the temple and not more beggars? (In India there are plenty of both)
• Why not pay for the sweepers child to study at school?

To all of my questions, my parents had a very simple answer: “It makes us feel we are helpful and it is important for us to know that of the little we have, we are helping someone who has even less.”

At that young age, I didn’t know why my family had challenges and some of my friends didn’t. They could eat whatever they wanted, buy expensive dresses and go places I could only dream of. Fast track to the present, my personal circumstances are vastly different to where I started. However, these imbalances still exist in society today. There are many who have very little and very few who have a lot.

Giving Tuesday Now is an opportunity for us to rekindle our kindness and support those who need us now more than ever, especially during this global pandemic. Make a difference this Giving Tuesday & donate to the Maanch Coronavirus Response Fund, and help support diverse projects run by charities around the world to overcome the Coronavirus crisis and to build a more resilient future for all.