The potential to change lives

Our nation is faced with many problems and has a unique set of issues to tackle. The high unemployment rate, huge levels of inequality, questions about quality of education and healthcare are all common problems. There has also been a surge in crime and intolerance which has the potential of tearing this nation apart. Nationally, we are besieged with numerous political, social and economic evils, threatening our much-hailed project of nation building. Despite the plethora of issues facing our nation, it is also disheartening to see so many of us spending too much time and energy worrying about petty things in our everyday lives. We are not redirecting our energies to better use. However, there are many unsung heroes and heroines in our midst who equally deserve recognition for their commitment to changing lives. My heart swelled with pride when I read about the amazing story of Dr Panduleni Itula and his colleague Dr Jones Nghaamwa. The two doctors performed a life-changing operation on an Angolan woman who had required surgery in the face and neck area to remove the ameloblastoma tumour. Seeing lives transformed is the reward for any doctor. It is a very gratifying experience, which will surely give many profound hopes. Doctors are not the only ones changing lives in our communities. There are many local professionals, businesses and ordinary Namibians that are ploughing back to their communities and reaching out to the poor across the length and breadth of our country. These people are all worthy to be called heroes in their own right. We can ill-afford to disconnect from humanity by turning away from suffering that exists outside our personal realm. Hence it is our moral obligation to live a life of service to humanity wherever we find ourselves. Moreover, we must at always aspire to be productive citizens of this country. We must motivate and encourage each other do better in all we do even though sometimes not all range of services and achievements are celebrated.