MOT South Africa’s youth blogger on having the Courage to Care

Darren Maybe (002)

Darren is a Young MOTivator and the current winner of the Are Hovstad Award. The following text is his reflections on the difference having the Courage to care can mean to somebody.

The following content will be the events that were the highlight of my week. These events were random acts of kindness and showing support to some total stranger or person I know.

Last month I decided to pack in extra lunch with fruit and water for a homeless gentleman that I greet every day on my way to campus. I spent approximately 5-10 minutes in conversation with him. The man looked extremely grateful not just for the goodies I gave him but for the fact that someone spent time talking to him. As I walked away, I could see he was standing in the corner with tears rolling down his cheeks.

Then on August 13th, I bought myself a takeaway coffee at KFC and witnessed one of the general workers at Maynard Mall in Wynberg being rebuked by a lady and I thought to myself buy him a coffee just to put a smile on his face.

As I approached him, I told him I saw what happened and gave him the coffee. With a smile on his face, he said, “thank you so much. I needed your wise words of encouragement.” If I can make someone blissful or put a smile on their face, I feel that my day was made.

The weekend of August 15th and my mom and I, including my siblings, assembled and dispersed twenty-seven party packs for the less fortunate children in our surrounding community to celebrate my little brother’s 3-year-old birthday. It was an absolute honour to see those kids smile.

#sharingiscaring

Darran Maybe