“Givers Gain” is a philosophy and mantra which both Anuradhha & I are grateful for as it’s what has made our living for the last 15 years. We moved to Dubai in November of 2004 on a whim. It was a decision taken on a cold winter day, sitting in a rather large and empty house, in the countryside of West Wales, UK we called home.
You see, both Anuradhha and I are born and brought up in Kenya. We met in college in 1991 whilst we were pursuing our higher studies in Cardiff and we got married back home in Kenya in 1998. In 2001 we chose to migrate to the UK and in 2002 we bought a rather large property in the Welsh countryside with a view to making it our home as we planned to start a family. Having spent most of our lives in Africa I was not in favour of the Welsh weather – mostly wet, windy and cold except for a few months in Summer so on that day towards the end of 2003 I jokingly declared to Anuradhha that we should move the Dubai, the land of opportunities which we had had the opportunity to visit a few times before on short vacations.
Fast forward November 2004 and we found ourselves in Dubai exploring opportunities and we were very lucky to come across an organization called “BNI” which filled a gap in the market to provide a face-to-face platform for small businesses and entrepreneurs to network, build long-term credible relationships to support each other and generate business referrals. The premise of BNI is “Givers Gain” – what goes around comes around – or the law of Karma or reciprocity. Members support and refer each other purely for the joy of giving without expectations and they get rewarded multiple times by their network in the same manner.
We were awarded the BNI Franchise for the UAE in 2005 and in the process built a very successful business and community of over 600 active business owners and decision-makers. Over the last 15 years we’ve had the incredible opportunity to meet thousands of people in the UAE who have been able to grow their business thanks to the concept of BNI. It’s very rewarding especially knowing that when we came to this country we only knew 2 people and today we can proudly call our BNI community our extended family.
When the pandemic hit the UAE around March of 2020, we took the lead and enabled our members to move online and continue networking and supporting each other. There was a bit of resistance and skepticism but when the reality sunk in, many members appreciated our actions. Fast-forward to today and looking back, 2020 was actually the best year we’ve had both for our own BNI business and our members too in terms of the referrals and business they generated between themselves.
We thought we knew the power of Givers Gain but it was 2020 that taught and showed us what it truly is. We committed to calling each and every one of our members to offer any assistance and support in any way that we could, but I found out in the process how blessed we were that the members themselves were supporting each other in so many ways than one could imagine. It was just not about business but more about humanity.
Members whose businesses came to a complete standstill found ways to put others first and gave their time towards helping them. Chapters innovated and used online technology to stay connected – organizing social events, bringing in experts in health and wellness, being a lifeline to many who were struggling mentally. Members became a support system for each other and beacons of light in a sea of fear. Given the diverse nature of businesses amongst the BNI community, there were stories of helping towards repatriation flights and providing much-needed food and aid to the needy.
There are so many stories of members helping each other in the year 2020 that brings to light a different facet of “Givers Gain” and for us another testament to the philosophy that in general humans are kind by nature. We were touched so deeply and continue to do so every day as we learn more and more about how members continue to help each other even today.
At the back of each of our minds, we all know that someday we will return “home”. The UAE has been kind to us and we are lucky to be living in this city which has gone way and far beyond our expectations so much so that Anuradhha, Aryan (who was born here 13 years ago) and I decided in 2020 that Dubai will now be our permanent abode for the rest of our lives.
Thank you 2020, Thank you Dubai, Thank you BNI and Thank you “Givers Gain”
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Thank you for sharing your story, Bijay. Truly, Anna and you epitomize the value of Givers Gain – in life and at work. Blessed to have you with us.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful story Bijay.