The Philanthropy Files: A Little Helps A Lot

The Tale of Mushkil Gusha

In the tale of Mushkil Gusha, a woodcutter goes out every day to gather wood to sell so he and his daughter could survive. Despite their hardships, they always found a way to share what they had and help others in need. This tale of their life is usually told on a Thursday evening to remind us all to be grateful and share what we have with those in need. In the words of the story teller, “Mushkil Gusha is the remover of all difficulties, and we must always be grateful. Every Thursday evening we must give thanks or give a gift to the needy, in the name of Mushkil Gusha”.

At the WCA we have been lucky enough to benefit from the tale. Every Friday morning for the past 11 years, we have received a donation of a $20 bill from the same Boise resident who writes, “Though it is not much, I would like this contribution to help someone who is in need. From, Mushkil Gusha.” Over an 11-year period this $20 weekly donation has accumulated to over $11,000–a substantial amount of giving. I wanted to share this story with our community because it illustrates that a little helps a lot. Any donation you can give is a wonderful gift to us. We are so grateful for all our donations and are thankful that members of our community still practice the wisdom of the Mushkill Gusha tale.

You can read Mushkil tale in full  here: (https://storytelling.co.za/thursday-night-storytelling-the-tale-of-mushkil-gusha/)

Laura Honn, Philanthropy Manager

[email protected]

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