Two words but have the same meaning. And there are so many of them across countries and continents. They are expressed at various times and on different occassions. From working with communities in rural India, to head offices in Delhi, to SE Asia and now in Africa, this has been a long and memorable journey. Sitting on a nine hours flight and traveling from one corner of Africa to the other, I started jotting down how our work helps us to understand who we are and the relationship with our immediate environment. On one hand, I have been very fortunate to have worked and interacted with such people who made that difference and on the other, the analytical mind starts talking about what makes them so different. I presume each one of us exhibit such behaviours and characteristics and only gets captured when one interacts with them. I am far away from such a yardstick but doesnot stop me to acknowledge and even learn a few tips from every discussion, every interaction I have had with them.
It was early January this year and a doctor from one of our project area has been visiting and requesting us to construct a health clinic, something that we do, given funding availability. He visited us again and again. There were considerations, for example, how we can construct one health clinic and the complexities that go with it. He visited some of our clinics and saw the change that it had brought to hundreds of communities and this motivated him to have one for the area where he is posted. What touched me was his perseverance and finally we gave in!
Years ago when I had started working, in one of the village meetings where we had planned to discuss (and then distribute) savings and credit programme, lost few thousand cash. There was lot of discussion around how did this happen but fast came the reply, “you share half and I will pay half”. Technically, I was holding the cash and I should have paid the full amount. It was a classic case of taking responsibility! Nothing better than learning by doing!!
In this career and life span there are hundreds and thousands of such experience and wish I could jot down every experience that I have encountered. This expression wouldn’t be complete if I don’t share couple of more such experiences, which possibly has touched me the most. We all experience failure and defeat. And for many of us, surely me, it takes a while to accept. Many of us become vulnerable during such period and only few could “stand up” after a fall! I met this incredible person during one of my journeys and more I listened, I could barely close my wide opened mouth. It was stunning and one message came out so loudly from that conversation: believing in one self, the courage to stand up and the conviction, “I will rebuild myself”. I asked who was with you during this period, and what I received was a smile. I understood! The expression that there was no expectation (to have someone around) also taught me few lessons although immediately acknowledged that blessed are those who have people to stand by. On one hand, leadership roles can be lonely but on the other, it can generate huge enthusiasm and support.
We all know this, don’t we? So…..!! I presume what I captured are some of the life time experiences of people around me, the learning that goes with this and the chord that gets touched during such journeys!
Let me end this with a recent experience. I was traveling to one of the most secluded project districts in Ethiopia. I met this young volunteer who is a teacher. The group of 40-60 pastoral students quite likes him and while talking to this teacher I realized what a passion he has: in this far flung place with little or no facilities, and no guarantee of regular salary, and he has been offering his services for past few years. I couldn’t ask him where he wants to go after this and what he wants to do, but could only say, “Amasaganalo…Thank You! I presume this is what makes the difference, the innate ability to connect between dreams and masses.
What has been your experience during your respective journeys? What do we need to do to connect our dreams with our environment? Is this so simple or is this something that one has to experience, learn and build up? Where does it all begin? So much to explore and isn’t this the best place!!
Explore and Express 