The moments that stayed with me most from Ethiopia were the quiet, deeply human ones. I vividly remember a young girl arriving at the clinic, wearing a small beanie and smiling brightly despite struggling to breathe. Learning that she required heart surgery was both sobering and inspiring. Her resilience highlighted how easily I have taken access to healthcare for granted. Sometimes resilience looks like a smile that refuses to disappear.
I was equally struck by a 13-year-old girl attending second grade. Though older than her classmates, she participated with confidence and joy, unaffected by the years she had missed due to the cost of a school uniform. Her presence reflected both the fragility of opportunity and the profound impact of finally receiving it. Her story highlights how arbitrary some barriers are, and how life-changing it can be when even one of them is removed.
One of the most meaningful experiences was witnessing the activation of a newly constructed well. It’s one thing to understand inequity intellectually, and another thing to watch something so immediate unfold. Seeing children laugh and celebrate as they experienced clean water from the well for the first time was incredibly powerful — recognizing that the well is providing not only water but health, dignity, and opportunity. Observing Justin and Anita quietly take in the moment added further significance, underscoring the power of persistence, compassion, and collective effort in creating lasting change.
Heather Adkin, RN
April, 2026