A recent survey by international development charity Send a Cow, which I volunteer for, suggests that Brits are among the least generous in the world when it comes to passing on their pearls of wisdom. One in three (28 per cent) people in the UK say that they have never passed on the single best piece of advice they've ever received to anyone else at all – not even to their nearest and dearest.
The survey findings seem to highlight a breakdown in community spirit here in the UK. As I've seen by my trips to Africa, by stark contrast, people in Africa pass on advice, knowledge and skills learnt through Send a Cow's development schemes to an average of 10 others.
When I asked the farmers I met in Africa for their pearls of wisdom, responses were almost all to do with helping others and their community, such as "When I have all this knowledge I must share and care", and "Be hard working, respect elders and have love for people".
Back in the UK, the most popular pieces of inspiring advice tended to focus on becoming a more successful or happy individual. Quotes like 'Live for the day', 'Life's too short' or 'Be true to yourself' featured heavily.
In the wake of our current credit crisis and strains on the family budget, now more than ever we need to support each other and give what we can – whether it's time, advice or just an available ear. Through Send a Cow's programmes of passing on knowledge and support, each individual effort has lead to many others benefiting and people getting a helping hand out of poverty – something we can all learn from. – John Wilton, Wenthill Close, East Dean.