Pay it forward!

These past few days, I went away on a medical campaign in Ataye. Ataye is found in the northern region of Ethiopia, about 200km from the capital, which is a 7 HR drive. It is a small city with an estimate of around 70,000 people.

Ataye is one of the most affected regions by the ongoing war over the past couple of years. The people have suffered a lot with their houses burnt, persecuted, suffered from hunger and diseases, and mostly displacement from their households.

Our team included 20 doctors from different specialties, two pharmacists, four nurses, one lab technician, and four volunteers. We took some medical equipment with us, most of which were medications bought and others received from donors.

We gave free medical services to around 600 people, including mothers and children. Due to financial and material constraints, we were restricted from addressing more people. After finishing our medical services, we went to a nearby settlement camp. The camp had about 69 household heads that were displaced during the disputes. The site was unsettling, far from habitable, and dirty shelters housing several families with poor water access. We were welcomed with warm greetings. The children ran to us with excitement, desperate for love and affection.

We gave to the community leaders to fairly distribute the clothes, soaps, and sanitary pads we brought with us. Our eyes were filled with tears at what it meant to them for what meant so little to us to give away. The children jumped with joy as we gave them lollipops. Although the time we spent with them was cut short due to logistic reasons, it was a memory of a lifetime. It was noticeable to anyone that the environment changed with the sudden visit. It felt as if a weight was lifted off their shoulders.

As we said our byes, it nearly drove everyone to tears when the children asked when we would visit. They gave us hugs and kisses and waved their little hands as we left the camp.

Everyone was amazed at how the things we thought were so little could mean so much to someone else. It is incredible what a group of motivated friends can do.   

Volunteering is an act filled with rewarding experiences emotionally, physically, and spiritually. To give away without expecting any return fills your life with abundance. It inspires you to do more good deeds with the little you have. With the many we are lucky to have received, we are bound to pay it forward by volunteering.  

Sadly, more people did not receive the services we sought to give. We wished for the same joy and hope that filled that camp could have spread across the city.

Across our country, there are many more who seek our help. They are left hopeless and desperate due to the greed of men. We need to help one another. We need to see and accept that it is our responsibility to be there for each other in times of need.   

I ask you today, whatever profession you are in or skill you have, try giving it away for free to people who need it. Give hope to the little children that are in desperate situations. Redeem the faith the young and elders have lost to the harsh reality of our present. Let us start a movement that will spread across our nation. Let us fill it with life and hope. Let us reach out to those in a state of grief and despair.

It does not require much to impact someone’s life. The little we have can make an immeasurable impact on the life of another. So, if you feel you owe your country something, give it to the people who need it most. Serve your people and pay it forward.

         Be all you can be.✌

Let me know your comments below.👇