The Basic Income Grant (BIG) Coalition’s noble and praiseworthy initiative to secure funding to enable it to experiment with a proposed social grant of N$100 for the urban and rural poor has left a sweet taste in the mouth. Although BIG Coalition’s proposal has been in the pipeline for a while, the announcement that money would soon be raised to experiment with the grant could not have come at a better time in light of the growing unemployment and abject poverty for the thousands ensnared in a vicious poverty cycle. If the initiative were to see the light of day, those dejected shall rejoice and smile. It would be one small yet giant leap forward as we continue marching towards social upliftment. Despite concerted efforts by government to provide a safety net, thousands of Namibians are perpetually caught up in the brutal cycle of joblessness and abject poverty, while a section of Namibians continue to toil in the mire of hopelessness. Indeed, government has rolled out massive development programmes to offset the effects of hunger and poverty among its citizenry, particularly those resident in rural areas. Various schemes have been mooted to help those who were formally marginalized to join the mainstream of the Namibian economy that seems saturated with few openings. And with assistance from traditional donors and other good Samaritans around the globe, we have been the recipients of generous aid that has transformed the lives of many for the better. Yet, there are those who go to bed not knowing where their next meal will come from when they wake up simply because they do not have the means. Others have taken to refuse dumps in search of food and survival. These unfortunate people lack the rudimentary resources to provide for themselves. They do not have jobs and they do not have any other means to earn a living. Namibia has been the focus of so many international donor conferences and promises. So many solutions and finances were pledged in the past to address the ills that afflict the lives of a multitude of ordinary souls. Indeed, money has flowed in from donor nations to nip poverty in the bud and to free the suffering masses from the yoke of grinding poverty that has been cited in many reports as the root cause of crime and a multitude of other social evils. Other stakeholders in the past have left this mammoth task entirely to the government with their arms akimbo, barely interested. But true to the saying, many hands make light work in contrast to the adage, many cooks spoil the broth, we welcome BIG Coalition’s initiative. If civic society and the private sector collaborate with government, there is no doubt we could move mountains and perform a host of other miracles. We indeed could make poverty history and every John and Mary will be the winner at the end of the day. Though at this stage we do not know whether this social welfare scheme would work, we applaud the coalition for soldiering on and for steadily spearheading the plan. We just hope other concerns that matter would jump on board and render moral, material and even financial support to this brilliant plan. And true to the saying charity begins at home, we should not just play the role of unconcerned bystanders merely watching how BIG Coalition is to address such an uphill and relatively complex task, but we should play our role. We know the march will be longer and no bed of roses, but we trust that the initiators of the scheme will not go home empty-handed but have something to show when harvest time comes. And those who matter should jump on board now and not after the ground has been cleared of pebbles and boulders. The initiative should not be allowed to die a natural death but its viability and sustainability be tried and tested.