Community Challenge Event June 2009: A Participants View
In Christianity charity is one of the theological virtues associated with salvation and is that habit or power which disposes us to love God above all creatures for Himself, and to love ourselves and our neighbours for the sake of God. In Judaism Tzedakah, the religious obligation to perform charity and philanthropic acts, is emphasised as an important part of living a spiritual life. In Islam it is called Zakat and it is one of the five pillars upon which the Muslim religion is based.
Irrespective of religious beliefs if you are partial to any at all; in the melting pot of cultures and ethnicities that comprises the Gibraltarian community, the amount of appeals and charitable work that is undertaken on the Rock cannot go unnoticed. There are a whole array of charities locally that provide a vehicle for those whose time and inclination do not lend themselves to take a pro-active role. Moreover, they enable those that can offer their time the opportunity to do so by providing financial aid and support.
The concept of charity is commonly understood as the act of donating money, goods, services time/or effort to support a socially beneficial cause, with a defined objective and with no financial or material gain for the benefactor. This notion is an interesting one as we often think that going and helping those in need is a one way transaction. When you really stop to think about it however, it is the very people that we seek to help who make a positive contribution and leave an indelible imprint in our lives; though not necessarily in a tangible sense.
If you have ever been fortunate enough to leave Gibraltar, whether near or far and have had the opportunity to work hands on in and with the community you aim to help you will have noticed that it is in no way a one way transaction. I had the chance of volunteering for Rifcom in June; being involved with this charity which gave a group of us the opportunity to service communities in desperate need of help has been a real privilege.
The participants on this trip managed to raise in excess of £30,000.00, which is a substantial amount given the current global recession and economic climate. This is a reflection of the Gibraltarian spirit and willingness to help. Further, 41 people gave up their free time and used their own leave to travel to the Rif and help various communities there. First in Chefchaouen and then in a little village called Akchour by the Qued Farda Gorge and the incredible ‘God’s Bridge’.
Discussions with the Rif community took place and the aims of the trip were set prior to departure. Although, as happens, not everything was achievable, flexibility and the invaluable working relationship with the Rifcom representatives locally meant that we were able to identify areas where our time and effort would be well spent. These ranged from the renovation of the façade of the Women’s Association as well as a sports ground, running a football academy, cleaning rivers and trails, painting a school to cultural exchange programmes. This is just the start of what Rifcom has planned for the Rif which centres on the age old idiom of helping others to help themselves via the development of sustainable growth.
Sustainable growth can be attained by using readily available local resources and harnessing what the environment has to offer. The Rif has an abundance of areas of natural beauty that if properly cultivated could generate substantial income from tourism projects; allowing villagers to share intimate knowledge of their surroundings and sell their wares to visitors, thus generating income. This income can in turn be used to help educate the community whilst ensuring that rich tapestry of cultures and skills that are the very foundation of growth do not die out.
Having done charity treks in the past I thought I knew what to expect when I got involved with Rifcom. However, the fact that we interacted with the locals, were truly hands on and we all saw first hand where all the fundraising was going made this trip special. I am sure each participant took home something different; for me, over and above everything else was a renewed sense of perspective. It was truly humbling to meet many of the locals during this trip. Rarely have I felt so welcomed and experienced such generosity from people who it seems were willing to give you what they didn’t have and more.
Written by Leti Gatt
Click here to read up on RifCom’s First Challenge Event in Morocco A Huge Success!!
