Kersi Randeria shares…

Dear Friends,

Over the past few centuries, many of our earlier generations have served at the forefront of community service via their selfless acts of charity, providing community members with housing, building schools and hospitals, setting up Trusts for the aid of the less fortunate, and so on. They were driven by the passion to serve, their compassion translated into giving. Without any agenda or ulterior motive… simply out of love, empathy, humanity and a sense duty towards the Community.

Things seem to have changed today, something seems to have proverbially slipped between the cup and the lip, highlighting a ‘missing link’, so to say. So, what’s amiss today? Why are our leaders, our Trustees, not bridging the gap and reaching charities to the underprivileged members of our community, who today, are more than ever, in need of support? Has the sense of selfish self-service pervaded all those good intentions which most community leaders across various Trusts speak of, but do not practice?

Our sense of sympathy and love for the poor and the destitute within our community, seems to have gone numb, as the helpless no longer figure as a priority on the agendas. The smaller Trusts are doing their bit in supporting the poor with the available, limited doles, food packages and essential rations. But we need our larger Trusts to step up and provide the much-needed community service, more than lip-service, on a much larger scale, befitting the need of the hour. Unfortunately, this core priority, gets shunted aside, to accommodate alternative agendas which are rooted in favouritism, nepotism and other unethicalities.

The main aim of the Trustees of the Community, before all else, should be to secure the wellbeing of its most vulnerable members. Unfortunately, a lack of both – proper leadership and heart – leaves that aim unfulfilled. Though we don’t lack good leaders in our Community, most will not come forward to take on the responsibility, in this day and age, where a brazen display of personal attacks and ‘free-for-all’ on social media has become the norm, replacing the sense of grace, humility and mutual respect. It’s sad to see that many Trustees have unfortunately morphed into politicians.

The present Board of BPP Trustees have been putting in a lot of effort to ensure we move in the right direction, and despite our differences, we endeavour to best serve the community, with the hope and faith, that together, we will bridge the gap that defines the missing link – between good intentions and community-service – so that we can help our community members who are in great need during these uncertain and challenging times.

I look forward to hearing from you – mail me with any queries, suggestions, grievances or feedback, at kersijranderia@gmail.com.

Till the next time, stay safe and stay healthy!

Kersi Randeria,
BPP Trustee