The proverb means that if we wish to help others, we should first help our relations and friends. They are our dear and near ones. We have been brought up in the midst of our relations. They have helped to bring us up. Our friends help us in many ways. They share our joys and sorrows. So it is our primary duty to help them first. After relations and friends we should help our neighbors and villagers or people of our locality whom we know well.
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Then we should help our countrymen, all of whom we may not know. Sometimes we do not care to help our needy relations, but we go forward to help others. It does not show our generosity. It shows our want of sympathy for our distressed relatives. If we cannot feel for our own people, how can we sincerely feel for others? In such a case our sincerity is merely a show. We only want to make a name. We want that others should praise us for our generous help. There may be some other motive behind it. By making a donation we may want to gain a selfish end. Such charity cannot be truly called charity.