I am finding it incredibly hard to
articulate why it is I do what I do. Why
do I feel compelled to pursue a career working towards social change where the
money sucks and the challenges sometimes seem insurmountable? Why do I feel
pulled to live and work in Africa where it takes twice as long to get
everywhere and challenges seem to appear out of nowhere? And why is it so hard
for me to put any solid answers into words? To put it simply, I strongly
believe in the incredible power of humanity—in the power of humans to destroy
and then the power to rebuild. I am
moved by the resilience of the human race and the ability for people to thrive
in the most intolerable conditions. I
believe to my core that all humans are innately good and that therefore every
person deserves to thrive. And I believe
that as part of a greater collective, I could not pass through this world as a
bystander.
Why do I do what I do? Because who am I not to? When
Sister Barbara comes to work every day, to a clinic the size of a trailer that
doesn't have ibuprofen simply because she knows that the people of Linda are
entitled to health care, I can spend the rest of my life trying to drive
change. I am a realist and do not for a
second believe that in my lifetime all of the world problems will be solved,
but I also acknowledge all of the amazing people who have stepped into my life
at one point or another and I have witnessed the incredible potential we all
possess. Everyone's potential manifests
differently, but for me my life has taken me down a path where working to
contribute towards a positive shared wellbeing is my passion and growing other
potentials rather than stunting them is my mission. To sum it all up, I do what I do because I
really don’t know what else I would do.
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Collaboration with University of Zambia |
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Neri Clinics-where I spend my mornings |
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Tuesday Nutrition Clinic |
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Sunset at Kafue |
"And I believe that as part of a greater collective, I could not pass through this world as a bystander." Touche. I'm glad you do what you do and I'm glad you share it with others! I miss you and hope one day we can do this kind of thing together, like side by side, but in the meantime, I'm glad you are where you are, doing what you are doing, because you are good at it and others get to flourish as they spend time with you. xoxox
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