Moral Principles over Self Interests
October2021 – When we decided to move back to the US from Switzerland after three years, it was an incredibly difficult decision, a decision against my self-interest. We were just able to build relationships with colleagues and neighbors, who became true friends. We had stayed longer than expatriates but not long enough for our roots to bear fruits. Extensive travelling away from my immediate family and aging parents in the US made life hard to balance. It was very tempting to maximize the experience, accept one of the many new job offers and start a new life.
Personally, I was not the complete human I wanted to be. The truth is, my professional ambitions were deterring from doing what I needed to do, morally. Giving back was always important to me, but like most, embarking on a new challenge, I did not know where and how to start. We made a choice to put our self-interest aside and follow our moral obligations. Coming back to the US gave me an opportunity to reflect, refocus and not delay this very important charitable cause. I am happy I did not fall into the “someday syndrome”. As the saying goes, a challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it. And so, the journey began.
I remain humbled with the outpour of support we receive. For example, in the last few months I was introduced to Dr. Laurence Gruer. Dr. Gruer is a professor of public health at the University of Glasgow and founder of a nonprofit with similar mission to Devoted Skies to improve patients’ access to healthcare in developing countries. His projects have included building a maternity clinic and donating motorbikes as means of transportation to rural communities, granting nurses availability at the local health centers: getting around in the rural parts of the world is a big challenge and a deterrence for healthcare workers. I remain inspired by stories like Dr. Gruer’s and confident that all donated amount, well wishes and words of encouragement go a long way in helping people. It is our moral duty and Devoted Skies merely offers the platform, we hope you can entrust us to carry out these good deeds.
Healthcare Access Project – We continue our plans for the global healthcare access trip this fall – we have learned a lot from our donors, sponsors, advisers, and logistics providers, who help facilitate the delivery of the medical supplies. Devoted Skies Board of Directors made the decision to refrain from wholesome infrastructure engagements, political affiliations and to remain religion agnostic. Some regions choose to accept donated medical supplies, while others seek long-lasting partnerships. In Paraguay, we will have long days of meetings to understand healthcare delivery in Asunción and local areas and determine the opportunities for intervention to improve patient access to care. These discussions will be with hospitals and medical school leadership as well as patient meetings. The bulk of our work in Paraguay will begin when we return to the US and decide on our team’s strategy for support. On the other hand, in Ghana, we will bring medical supplies with us, procure local medications, and meet with community leaders on a long-term partnership strategy. Metaphorically, we do not want to just bring a bottle of water to the desert. What we can supply would be miniscule to the needs in these regions. However, we will be prepared to listen with empathy and selflessly offer our continuous support, anyway we can.
We look forward to sharing details of these trips with you. Do follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook for up to date insights on our activities. Please share your feedback with us. We’d love to hear from you.
The time is always right to do what is right. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
With warmth and gratitude,
Funso