TIA –This Is Africa. They actually say that in Ethiopia. It’s not just a line from a Hollywood movie. They don’t use it as an apology, but as a statement of fact. TIA means that here things happen at their own pace and you’d better accept it because there is no changing it. TIA means that for better or worse, Africa is a place like no other. For a variety of reasons, things happen here that would never happen elsewhere – both for the bad and for the good. While my currently inadequate understanding of such an expansive, dynamic and complex continent is limited only to a small portion of a single country, it is proving enough for me to begin to understand why such a simple statement could effectively encompass such an overwhelmingly large notion.

Ethiopia is a country of 80 million people living in a space the size of Bolivia with only 120 paediatricians. It is definitely a nation facing staggering challenges. It has a lot of needs, but my experience there showed me it also has a lot to offer. Without a doubt, the success of this country lies in its people. Those I encountered were gracious and determined. The health-care workers I met at Black Lion deal with their situation with humour and resiliency. They reminded me that if I changed my perspective and abandoned my assumptions, I would ultimately get a better understanding of their everyday lives. The green line, for example, should not be mistaken for a lack of standards. The doctors and nurses at Black Lion run their wards with limited resources, but definitely with rules and principles. Without a doubt, they do the best they can with what they’ve got. And in the end, the green line and all it represented – while hard to take in at first – not only allowed me access to incredibly interesting medical procedures performed by a variety of talented professionals, but to contribute in a small way to change the lives of those being treated, which is a generous gift to give a non-medical person.

In the interviews, I asked everyone – Ethiopian and Canadian alike – what they felt they were getting out of this particular collaboration between our countries. There were the anticipated answers about knowledge transfer and capacity building, which I was certainly happy to hear. And there were also moving answers about lasting friendships and affecting change and how things are going to be a decade down the road. Ultimately though, the answers that stayed with me the longest concerned the recognition of a necessity to not only bear witness but to be seen. While incredibly important, No Boundaries and HKI’s other programs are not just about building infrastructure and nurturing sustainability. They’re also about making human connections, and acknowledging each other with respect and dignity. That certainly happened during our week in Addis. And it was my privilege to be part of it.

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