“Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
What has surprised me most about being a GHC Fellow is that our fellowship year is not only about gaining traction on health equity, but gaining a deep understanding of self and learning how to answer the question, “what makes me come alive?” Why am I invested in this work?
Until our two week training at Yale University, very seldom did I whole-heartedly explore or attempt to uncover my “why” – my story, my personal narrative. I had some vague idea, just enough of a notion to lead me to a career advocating for social justice, but not enough to engage in work that truly tapped into the source of my light.
When we were first asked to write down our “why” on day one of our GHC training, I was surprisingly overcome with emotion. Putting my thoughts to paper felt like holding one of those Pilates poses that taps into an unused muscle and leaves your whole body shaking. I was tapping into a part of me that for too long had gone unused. Connecting to that deeper part of me was liberating.
The writing exercise forced me to take an analytical look into my own psyche, to a place I often try to ignore. Growing up in a low income family was always a source of inner conflict for me and, as I’ve come to acknowledge, left me with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. It wasn’t until I actually started to articulate my “why,” on that hot summer day in New Haven, Connecticut, did I realize that this commitment to social justice stemmed from my own feelings of feeling excluded from a world of haves, access, and choice. Although I was fortunate to have been surrounded by nurturing mentors and a supportive community that provided me access to resources and opportunities that have helped me to succeed, there are many others who aren’t. I want to change that.
I am a GHC fellow because I believe everyone should have the opportunity to live a life of their choosing. I want to empower others to build a better future for themselves and that starts with good health.
In an article written in the New York Times about the devastation left behind by Typhoon Haiyan when it struck the Philippines last November, authors Tim Hanstad and Roy Prosterman describe natural disasters as non-equal opportunity destroyers in which the poor are hardest hit. In my opinion, the same can be said about poor health. For the poor, the effects of poor health are far more devastating and longer lasting, and have the added capacity to undermine social, economic, and political progress. Without effective healthcare systems that provide equitable access to quality healthcare services, our efforts to advance social justice through health equity will never fully be won.
At the Rwanda Ministry of Health, my placement organization, I work for the Rwanda Human Resources for Health (HRH) Program, a program doing incredible work to increase Rwanda’s healthcare workforce and enhance its healthcare education and infrastructure. In Rwanda, the ratio of healthcare worker to population is far below the World Health Organization’s recommended density of clinicians required to achieve some of the most basic health outcomes. According to the Rwanda Ministry of Health 2012 Annual Health Statistics Booklet, the ratio of doctor/population is 1/15428 and the ratio of nurse/population is 1/1200.
Working with a consortium of 23 top US institutions of medicine, nursing, health management, and oral health to train cadres of health professionals, procure necessary health equipment, and build robust healthcare delivery systems, the HRH program plans to achieve a complete sustainability by 2017. Through the HRH program, we can help ensure that all Rwandans, not just those living in Kigali, but in villages throughout the country, have access to optimal healthcare! That’s fantastic! And yes, that makes me come alive.