Woman who lost everything in floods offered reporter the only thing she had — the reporter crumbled on air

We live in a world where the primary fuel that drives humankind is love and oneness. As we move ahead in society unfurling new systems and rules, our level of humanity seems to be declining — but deep down, the world continues to ooze compassion and sacrifice for one another. In light of this predicament, a video shared by u/Right_here_already on Reddit showcases a moment of generosity from someone who barely has anything to her name.

A famous saying makes us believe that you can never pour from an empty vessel — which means, you cannot give someone something you don't sufficiently have yourself. However, there are people out there who believe in kindness, who selflessly share whatever little they have with those around them, without expecting anything in return. u/Right_here_already’s video portrays a similar case of a woman who lost everything during the floods in Ecuador, but performed a small gesture that held deep meaning.

In the video, the reporter stands belly-deep in a waterlogged street — an aftermath of the dangerous floods in Ecuador. The houses — shacks — there are also waterlogged, with most people having lost their groceries, belongings, and other cherished objects due to the catastrophe. While giving her audience an insight into the situation, a local woman appears from behind, emerging from her semi-submerged shack with about half a dozen bananas in her hand, which she offers to the reporter. The young lady, completely taken by surprise, hesitantly accepts it and, touched by the kindness, breaks down on air. A selfless act like this one makes us believe that there are people who are eager to pour love even when their own vessels are barely full.

Silent Story Teller shared on Medium that selflessness, like the sun that always rises regardless of its circumstance, doesn’t deplete but rather builds us. It highlights how lifting others when we are drowning ourselves has the power to become the “antidote to our depression.” A study by Maira Karan and others suggests that offering selflessly to others stimulates the brain’s reward centers: “the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which creates dopamine, and the ventral striatum, which interprets dopamine signals.” This suggests that the brain finds kindness to be a pleasurable experience — one that scratches a deep itch in our soul inclined towards generosity and care.

After watching the heart-touching video, many commented. u/Historical_Pound_136 highlighted, “If you’ve ever been poor or lost everything you’ll understand the pain of others who have too. Poor people will share their last bit of bread if they know you’re hungry,” and u/Monocle_Lewinsky shared, “I don’t usually have an emotional breakdown, but when I do, I like doing it to a hip hop beat.” When u/mouaragon wrote about not being able to hear what the reporter said, and u/XTheProtagonistX translated it: “I think what she is trying to say is that they just got there and the nice lady is doing her best to make them feel at home and being a good host.”