So the story goes like this, well, first of all, some context. I am not and have never been political.
I have never had an allegiance to a political party.
That is not by design; it is just how it is.
Over the years, I've voted across the political spectrum from one end to the other and back, because I try to vote beyond myself, because I would rather we had a society than I won and everybody else lost (just a personal thing).
But now, back to the story, because I think it frames part of my philosophy and really represents where I came from and where my family came from.
And so, I'm sat in Misungwi, or actually something like an hour or so beyond Misungwi down a dirt track where Bridge2Aid are running their volunteer programme to train therapists to do dental treatments in Africa.
It's the opening ceremony of a two-week programme, and we're sat in what is a little square which is covered with plastic garden chairs on four sides and different people standing around. I am sat with the guys who've travelled there, the only non-African people in the audience, and I'm with the ‘dignitaries’. The dignitaries include the chief dental officer, but also political heads of the district that we're working in and various people of importance within society here.
To the left of my seat are lots of people from the local community, villages, fields and farms. To the right, some more of those and some of the clinicians who will be working. And in front of me, mostly clinicians who have come to work, support, help the programme or learn.
For the last 3 years or so, we have paid the salary of Dr Chicco, who runs these volunteer programmes for a development initiative for the Tanzanian government called Thedi. I was asked to do that by Shaenna, who's the CEO of Bridge2Aid, or at least asked to help, and we decided, as part of our charity project, under 1% of turnover for social legacy projects at The Campbell Clinic Group, that it would be a good use of some of the funds that we had available.
Until this point, we've never talked about it too much or shouted about it too loudly, only to ourselves, but we pay Chicco to run these programmes, and he is an inspirational leader and clinician. He gets the equivalent of £120,000 in Tanzanian money for 3 days per week to run these programmes, so that he does not have an urge to go back to the big cities and to leave it be to support his family.
There is no funding for him to do this otherwise, and therefore, he would not be there, and so we feel that we're making an enormous difference in the people that we're training.
I didn't turn up here to get recognition for that. I turned up to meet Chicco and to bring him some presents and to invite him to come and speak at The Campbell Academy, because we have become pen pals or friends over that period of time.
In the middle, though, of the meeting, as the dignitary stood up in this long, laborious, hot ceremony, where we didn't understand most of what was being said. One of the last dignitaries to stand up turned with his back to the audience and faced me.
He addressed me directly, ‘Dr Colin’, and he said the following to me.
“While it does not do to be a beggar, it is fine to ask your friends for help”.
As profound a statement that represents my philosophical approach to life as I've ever heard. I was taken aback, shocked, in the middle of a Swahili ceremony. He spoke in English directly to me.
I'll never forget that as long as I live, but more so, I'll never forget the philosophy that he was talking about, and I will always try to give my friends a hand up.
Blog Post Number - 4444
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