VANDERBIJLPARK. – “We are here today because we all want to be good stewards. We want to be champions for a great cause; we want to make a diffe-rence in the lives of almost a thousand vulnerable children.
”This was the message from Ms Veronica Cronje, Director of LUSA Community Chest, at last week’s annual presentation of donations to beneficiaries in the Winter Warm Project. All beneficiaries are involved in providing care for vulnerable children in the Vaal Triangle.
“We have lost valuable members in the LUSA network and today I want to honour two people within our system who passed away during the last two weeks: Mr Cleopas Khumalo from Sukasambe and Sarah Mphidi from Letsoho la None. The reason why I want to recognize them specifically is because both of them were good stewards. “Both of them selflessly served their community and were champions for their cause. I want to celebrate their lives,” says Ms Cronje.
“I once watched a movie where a journalist asked an Aborigine from Australia if he wasn’t infuriated because foreigners came in and took their land. The Aborigine’s answer truly changed how I look at things. He told her that nobody can own land. Long after we have all gone, the trees, the soil and the land will still be there. To think that we could own it was madness, just as it is madness to think that we can take anything with us when we die. All we can do is leave things behind. We can leave possessions, our children and our legacy behind.
The big question we should ask ourselves is if we actually made a difference while we were on this planet. What kind of contribution did we make? What kind of legacy did we leave behind for our families and in our communities? Sometimes we rob people not by taking something away from them, but by not sharing what we have. If we do not share our passion, our love, our talents, our dreams and our gifts, we are actually robbing people of the value they could have received if we only had an open hand, open mind and open heart.
Today, more than ever, we see the need for compassion in a world where isolation has become the new way of being. Now, more than ever, we need to be good stewards and put our hands in our pockets to share what we have. What is the point of holding on to things when sharing them ultimately brings us joy, a sense of purpose and true value? Making a difference to someone else’s life is far more valuable than owning stuff.”
* LUSA thanks all the companies and individuals for their much-appreciated contributions towards Winter Warm 2021.Ms Veronica Cronje, Director of LUSA Community Chest.
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