We are always so thankful for our HopeBuilders who donate monthly to power the work Habitat does. The reasons behind their commitment to contributing regularly are a source of huge encouragement to us too.
Meet Sriram, a security and software consultant who decided to become our HopeBuilder after participating in BlockWalk in February. What’s even more inspiring is how he continued his own litter picking sessions weekly too! Sriram epitomises how we can all make great impact within the capacities we are able to serve.
It was Habitat’s “unusual name” which caught the eyes of Sriram in February and led him to sign up for BlockWalk. Describing it as an “eye-opening session”, Sriram shared:
“We'd all been accustomed to "someone else" picking up litter, taking care of public services. This was an opportunity for us to learn to take charge of our surroundings, of our living environment, and improve it ourselves. We realised that we didn't need to wait for someone to help us get organised to clean up. A few pairs of gloves, a garbage disposable bag, a pair of long tongs are all that we needed.”
During the session, Sriram spotted some broken bottle pieces at the edge of the grass and noticed owners walking their pet dogs in the vicinity. He realised that any pet dog could injure itself on such dangerous litter, and that an hour of his time picking litter could potentially make a big difference. This led him to conduct his own litter picking every Saturday morning since. As added benefit, not only does he find the hour of activity therapeutic, but he has also found himself building up confidence to take on larger challenges too.
So, why donate regularly? Is the ‘extra work’ not enough? Sriram admits that he is not yet “mentally strong” for some of the other Habitat programmes (i.e. Project HomeWorks) but believes that he can still provide worthwhile support with his own salary.
“I'm of the view that if I can help from my own salary, then that would be worthwhile too. We often expect the Government to take a position and to contribute from tax money, or we expect "others" or "someone" to intervene and help. As it turns out, we are that someone. Really, it is just that one realisation of knowing how to make a difference to get one started.”
To those who may think that you’re only one person and your impact is minimal, especially during this pandemic, Sriram had this to say:
“We may feel exhausted from the current and upcoming difficulties headed our way. Withdrawing into our own world seems like an attractive option. Taking action doesn't have to mean that we lift the burden of the world on our individual shoulders. There are other like-minded and aligned people. If we band up together, boost each other's morale by taking action, we will realise that there is strength in numbers and that we can individually and together make a difference in society, for our environment as well as for future generations who will come by long after we're gone.”
Thank you Sriram for reminding us how we all can play an important part, whether big or small, in serving the vulnerable amongst us. You can join Sriram in making an impact by becoming our HopeBuilder too. Sign up here!