By Amara Thoronka
Anti-apartheid campaigner and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, once said: “Everyone can rise above their circumstance and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”
Amidst the storms or life challenges, there are people who have been resolved, dedicated, passionate and willing to break bearers and serve humanity in their respective professions or skills. Most often, their professionally inspiring works or humanitarian gestures are unnoticed and unknown either because of their expressed humility or perhaps seeming media insensitivity.
Identifying and awarding such people for their continued exemplary services and gestures to mankind and nation is pivotal to development.
The Fatu Network Heroes Awards is one such award in The Gambia known for professionally and impartially identifying and honouring people for their exemplary services in their communities and the wider Gambian society.
Awards, especially those of national flavour or character, are obviously crucial to self and nation building.
Firstly, it recognizes people for their good works. Such recognition creates visibility or wider attention of previously hidden or unnoticed great developments.
Secondly, awards showcase testimonies of people’s achievements and ventures pivotal to community and national development. This has the propensity to attract sponsors or business partners for awardees who might want to expand their gestures, talents or skills.
Also, awards validate the works, services or talents of people. Receiving a prestigious award gives validity to what you do. That is why individuals, organizations and corporate entities display the awards they have won for people or clients to believe in what they do and/or offer.
Moreover, awards energize awardees to progressively and better continue doing the things for which they are being awarded. In other words, awards instill spirit and live into people not to relent, but to even do more and more.
It is also very essential to note that awards inspire others (non-awardees) to follow the footprints of awardees so that they too can be recognized.
In the world over, people and institutions compete for awards, especially popular and credible ones. This is to show how important awards are in enhancing or showcasing recognition, visibility, proof of exemplary work or service, validity and inspiration.
If the good works of awardees are replicated in our daily lives and activities, then our nation and the world will be a better place.
