In my May 22 2000 column I wrote about my phone conversation with Romeo Effs about his work with Food For The Poor. Romeo spoke passionately about the personal satisfaction he got from helping the less fortunate and the inspiration FTTP founder Ferdinand Mahfood had been to him.

Late last year Ferdinand Mahfood resigned from FTTP amidst charges that he had embezzled money to support two mistresses. To the many Jamaicans who had looked to FTTP and Mr. Mahfood as examples not only to this nation but the world, it was a grievous shock. The general reaction was disbelief – if we couldn’t trust this man who had turned his back on financial gain to serve God and the poor then who could we trust?

At the time my mind ran on Romeo. If the shock was so great to us on the outside, then it must have been doubly so to someone who had identified so closely with Mr. Mahfood and his cause. I wondered what Romeo’s feelings and reaction had been? How had he come to terms with having his trust so betrayed? Had he become cynical?

Last month Romeo called me on a business matter. It was the first time I had talked to him since the scandal broke. After dealing with the issue at hand we began discussing the FTTP scandal.

“When the rumours about Mr. Mahfood began I didn’t pay any attention because I figured people were merely being malicious and jealous. Then I heard he had gone on leave for six moths. I tried to get in touch with him but couldn’t. Then I heard he had resigned because of something to do with the rumours.

I still could not credit the rumours and defended him strongly to all my friends. I was adamant that none of it was true. I simply could not conceive that a man like Mr. Mahfood could have done what he was accused of. But then the reports came out in the paper confirming everything that people had been saying.

I was stunned, disappointed and embarrassed. I felt let down by a man who was my role model and almost my idol. I felt angry and betrayed. But then I began thinking that maybe there was a lesson in all of this. For as they say “God moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform”. And maybe this was his way of showing me and others, including Mr. Mahfood, that there has only been one perfect person in the history of the world and that was Jesus Christ.

To me it was a matter of someone making a mistake in the process of reaching the goal of being a true Christian. Because the road to becoming a Christian is not smooth. It has potholes and land slides and fallen trees, obstacles on way to the final resting place which is to be like god and walk in the footsteps of Christ. In that process you have to overcome obstacles which the devil puts in your way. And if your faith is not strong enough to overcome then you are going to fall. But when you do fall there is a way to seek amends and that is to ask God for forgiveness.

I think Mr. Mahfood has done that. He has admitted his sins, created amends with himself and his soul, and asked God for forgiveness. I still have a lot of love for Mr. Mahfood. Nothing can take away his compassion and god like love for the less fortunate. Nobody can deny that Mr. Mahfood and FTTP has done an immense amount of good for the poor and destitute in Jamaica and Caribbean.

But I can’t deny that this has hurt FTTP and other charities. I myself was so disappointed that I left FTTP. I am involved now with an organization that helps with inner city education and yes, many times when I ask for contributions people bring up FTTP and Mr. Mahfood. But I think that people are generally forgiving, though they don’t forget.

But without a doubt the persons FTTP helped have forgiven Mr. Mahfood. I still go into communities and talk to families I have had direct contact with to make sure promises made were fulfilled. And just today I visited a family in Majestic Gardens and the mother and I had this same discussion. She said she didn’t care what people had to say about Mr. Mahfood. She only thanked God everyday that he was born and was alive to help her and her family. She didn’t know what they would have done without him.

Despite all that happened there is no doubt in my mind that working for FTTP has made me a much better person. Because I learnt from Mr. Mahfood the ability to care and love the less fortunate. Before joining FTTP and working with him my feelings for the less fortunate were much less intense.

And I am still prepared to make sacrifices. I have become more directly involved now. So I am more sure than ever that my efforts and money are definitely benefiting others.

I have started a foundation focusing on helping inner city and poor rural communities with education with the focus on basic schools. It is called Yardie Events Foundation. Ten percent of the income from every project my company does goes toward the foundation. A lot of people promoting events use this “part proceeds” thing as a front so I don’t publicize this much. I only talk about it with sponsors.

When you help people and see the difference you efforts have made in their lives it does something indescribable to your soul. There is no satisfaction like the feeling you get from knowing you have made sacrifices to work for a bigger cause. Yes you need money to live, but there are far more important things than making money.

Recently I went to Goshen St. Mary to visit a lady in with six children who we had helped. When I had first gone there they were living in out kitchen made from tree trunks and old zinc. The windows were garbage bags and the floor was dirt. Inside there was one sponge, a heap of dirty clothes and a coal stove. One wall was made from wattle and daub and was falling down so they used bamboo to cotch it up. The children were malnourished with sores all over.

We got a house for this lady and gave her a mattress and some rice. This was about July and I went back at Christmas. And that lady had so much pride in her house. It was painted and she had planted flowers and the floor shone like a dollar piece. She and the children were dressed neatly and they looked much healthier. And I felt so much joy to know that a little thing I helped to happen could transform people’s lives like this.

I think Jamaicans should learn from Mr. Mahfood’s mistakes that we are all human beings and make mistakes but that we should not let such things blind us to the importance of giving and helping the less fortunate. As far as I see it such obstacles on the road of life should be mere distractions and should not let us forget the true goal in life, which is to follow the example of Christ when dealing with our fellow men.” changkob@hotmail.com