That’s the exact question that hit me too, how come we easily donate to campaigns, but not capital? This morning, I received 5 different WhatsApp messages. All are asking for campaign support. Some were from people I know: others, total strangers.
They had polished posters, powerful slogans, and the usual call: “Support me to represent our people.” Yet I paused. Not one had a clear value proposition. Not one said, “Here is what I have done before,” or “Here is the exact impact I want to make.”
And so I asked myself a difficult question: How come we freely donate to politics, but ignore entrepreneurs in distress? Do we ignore the elderly who need help? Our regional politics is not service; it’s a side hustle. Parliament is not a forum of sharp thinkers; it is a club where winning is mathematical. The ones with backroom power do. You’ve seen it. Brilliant legislators speak sense.
But when the vote comes, the real deals are cut in corridors. Invisible hands win. Articulacy is not strategy. Power is. So, again, what value is your MP bringing that warrants my money? Now, let’s contrast.
I know a small business owner who is struggling with a loan. He has collateral. He has a daily turnover. But he can’t access working capital. Why? Because banks charge him 24%. And his relatives? “There’s a wedding, sorry.” He is not asking for free money.
He’s asking for a bridge loan to survive. No one responds. Because somehow, donating to a wedding, a political campaign, or a burial feels more socially acceptable than investing in someone’s enterprise. Why? Because in our society, consumption gets more sympathy than creation.
Weddings are visible. Funerals are emotional. Politics is performative. But business? Business is quiet. It’s slow. It doesn’t shout. And most importantly, it forces us to confront our inactivity. Helping someone build something reminds us that we have built nothing.
That’s why we dodge those requests. We fear being asked: “And you, what have you done with your money?” Until we shift our giving from social compliance to strategic capital, our communities will never transform.
- A wedding lasts one day. A business pays rent for 10 years. Employs many people and pays taxes.
- A campaign poster fades. However, a well-funded poultry farm can feed 20 homes.
- A burial donation ends with a speech. A working capital top-up can change a family’s legacy.
If we truly care about progress, we must rethink our approach. Let’s create a new culture. “Before I sponsor your campaign, can I co-invest in your venture?” What is the ROI? That’s how we turn sympathy into systems. Stop throwing money where noise is. Start placing it where value grows.
And for those in business? Package your pitch like a politician does. Tell your story. Share your impact. Show us your numbers. Let us begin funding builders. Because legacy is not won in rallies, it’s earned in results.
Mr. Strategy.
