Written by Wilson, Community Worker
In social work, we’re taught to see people as the experts of their own lives. It’s a principle that feels empowering – and in theory, it is. But in practice, I’ve often heard something quite different.
Before joining Beyond as a community worker, I spent nearly five years in various social service settings. A recurring belief I encountered was that people from lower-income communities couldn’t always be trusted to make the “right” decisions for themselves and their families.
“Look at where their choices have gotten them,” I’d hear.
It was a perspective I came to recognise, but never fully accepted. And my time at Beyond has continued to challenge it.
One moment in particular stands out.
A few weeks ago, I found myself organising snacks for the children in one of our learning programmes. To help them stay nourished and focused, we set aside a modest budget for refreshments. I told them we had two options: popular junk food or healthier flash-frozen fruits.
Wanting to include them in the decision-making, we put it to a vote.
Honestly, I thought I knew how the vote would go. Kids being kids, I assumed they’d reach for the chips or biscuits.
But to my surprise, they all voted for fruit!
It might sound like a small thing, but it made me pause. Not because I didn’t think they were capable of making good decisions, but because I realised how easy it is, even unintentionally, to underestimate others when we hold the power to choose for them.
What I’ve come to understand is that the issue often isn’t about poor decision-making. It’s about access.
The children already knew fruit was the healthier option – they’ve heard it from parents, teachers, caregivers. What stood in the way wasn’t knowledge, but affordability. By covering that cost, what we offered wasn’t just a snack, it was theopportunity to act on what they already knew was best.
At Beyond, we often say we act in service of people’s efforts. And when I think about that vote for fruit, I see it as a perfect example of what that means: creating the conditions for people to exercise choice and agency.
This moment has stayed with me. Especially when I hear comments about people being “too picky” when receiving food rations – requesting fresh produce, certain brands, or healthier options.
What if those requests aren’t about preference, but about care? About wanting to do right by your family with the limited means you have?
Of course, no one makes perfect choices all the time. But when people are trusted to decide, supported with better options, and met without assumptions, something important shifts.
Trust becomes a foundation. A catalyst for growth.
Stephen Covey wrote, “Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people.”
I’ve seen that to be true.
It started, for me, with a vote for fruit.
And from there, we keep building.