There is this story of an American businessman, Kenneth E. Behring (1928–2019) who I happened to meet here in Arusha in 2016. He grew up in what he calls poor environment in an ordinary typical American town. His family was not rich by any definition, but his parents and all his siblings were hard workers.
He started with repairing and selling old cars, made good profits and became rich by doing so. He then moved into real estate in which he bought and sold homes and other buildings. Here he also became very rich.
He then ventured into the sports business in which he owned his own football team and again became even richer. One day someone asked him to donate a wheelchair to a needy person, and after donating it to a person who clearly demonstrated his joyfulness and gratitude that he could now move out of the house and sit outside in the sun, Kenneth was so touched that he established a wheelchair foundation that has so far donated millions of wheelchairs all over the world.
I was lucky enough to meet him on Sep. 21, 2016 when he came to donate over 100 chairs to needy people in Arusha. His foundation continues to donate such chairs to those in need globally. In his book, The Road to Leadership, Kenneth says: In my life of searching for wealth, I was busy everyday making more and more money. But it is when I started donating wheelchairs that I started to really feel that I was a leader and part of humanity. He writes: “before you are a leader, success is all about yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” I have read his book many times and continue to be inspired by his reflections and his commitment to serve those in need.
His philosophy of generosity and kindness to others echoes many such philosophies in all ages, then, now and in the future. We have heard the same thing in holy scriptures, we hear it from Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Martin Luther King, Junior, and yes, you and I have heard it from our ancestors, our parents and countless others.
It is when we serve others selflessly, when we hear the cry of the poor and hungry, when we hold the hand of someone in pain, it is then that we find ourselves. It is then that we realize that success comes when we make others successful.
