
Sponsored Contents | Apr 04,2022
April 17 , 2021
By Eden Sahle ( Eden Sahle is founder and CEO of Yada Technology Plc. She has studied law with a focus on international economic law. She can be reached at edensah2000@gmail.com. )
A good friend of mine has endured wars, natural disasters, bereavement, property loss and financial stress. He miraculously survived terminal illnesses and betrayals from those he trusted. Despite the difficult life he had, it made him stronger and compassionate toward others.
Today, one would be hard-pressed to find a stranger to tragedies. For me, the most recent one was two people from the same family that lost their lives after contracting the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). They are two of over 3,200 people that have died from the virus in the country thus far.
The pandemic, with the storm of violence we are experiencing, is causing unprecedented disruption. The nation feels lost, and many are grieving for the right reasons. Just when we all assume that tragedies would cease, the virus and the violence take more precious lives and add to our ongoing ache. The impact of every single tragedy we experience today will be felt for years to come.
How could it not when women are widowed, children are orphaned and societies lose their best and brightest?
What we are hearing is like nothing most of us have had to deal with before. It is heart-wrenching, not least in terms of the numbers of people dying every day for something that could have been preventable had we all done what is expected from us as keepers of our communities.
Fortunately, there are also brave people who remind us of the infinite potential that lies before each of us. Let us hope that these experiences provide the emotional and moral strength to discover new perspectives and possibilities.
Survivors of harrowing ordeals cherish experiences and demonstrate change in their actions and outlooks. Their optimism is not just expecting good things to happen but also challenges to be overcome. Such strength built over time spawns resilience and allows the re-discovery of the value of life.
Living proof of this is my friend. The aftermath of trauma brought him the need to help others. He fed the hungry, paid for patients’ medical expenses, visited strangers who are unwell and those grieving, and supported many to build businesses. Being there for others brought him joy. He even developed the habit of eating half of his plate at restaurants and sharing the meal with those who served him. When the pandemic struck the nation, he was equipped than most of us to handle the crisis better.
Indeed, the crisis we are going through has given rise to emotional endurance within some of us. The need to provide and receive support through trying times is slowly becoming the norm in communities. The common trauma is forging new helpful collaborations. As we contribute our roles to get out of the various common crises, we are dealing with a new bonding going on that is bringing communities from different backgrounds to offer help.
From registering those eligible for vaccines and making sure people sit socially-distanced to carrying the elderly from their homes to vaccine district centres, there is much encouragement in these acts of kindness. Many communities are aiding their city, appreciating the value that each one of them brought to the table to enable the elderly to receive vital inoculation. Individuals who had hardly known one another before became closer and began functioning as a collaborative team for a great cause.
Could this mean that today's trauma can help us create in the morrow compassionate communities that attach a high value to human life?
The appeal of this hope is profound. In the meantime, it is okay to grieve, hoping for better days to come. While human-made and natural disasters cost us, let us all make sure that we derive something constructive from this time of difficulty. For what it is worth, the possibilities for personal and collective growth should not be squandered for they have been wrought through much suffering.
PUBLISHED ON
Apr 17,2021 [ VOL
22 , NO
1094]
Sponsored Contents | Apr 04,2022
View From Arada | Dec 10,2018
Commentaries | Oct 31,2020
Sunday with Eden | Jun 05,2021
Viewpoints | Jan 01,2022
Agenda | Aug 24,2019
Sunday with Eden | Jan 11,2020
View From Arada | Aug 14,2021
Viewpoints | Feb 27,2021
My Opinion | Dec 10,2018
Photo Gallery | 52098 Views | May 06,2019
Fortune News | 45498 Views | Jul 18,2020
Photo Gallery | 43775 Views | Apr 26,2019
In-Picture | 42103 Views | Dec 14,2019
November 27 , 2021
Against my will, I have witnessed the most terrible defeat of reason and the most sa...
November 13 , 2021
Plans and reality do not always gel. They rarely do in a fast-moving world. Every act...
October 16 , 2021 . By HAWI DADHI
Residing in a country with no capital market, an organised marketplace for trading se...
August 28 , 2021 . By HAWI DADHI
The streets of Addis Abeba are as varied as they are many, although too many of them have yet to be named. From the narrow alleyways of the...
May 21 , 2022
There was a great deal of handshaking and patting each other on the back at the Hyatt...
May 14 , 2022
Diana Yohannes is one of those actively engaging in social media platforms with her T...
May 7 , 2022
The Ethiopian Economic Association (EEA) recently proposed the formation of a macroec...
April 30 , 2022
There is no ambiguity in the UNDP's assessment of Ethiopia’s economic performance a...
May 21 , 2022 . By BERSABEH GEBRE
Efforts to form the country's first-ever capital market took a meaningful step last...
May 21 , 2022 . By TSION HAILEMICHAEL
Trade regulators have warned exporters to immediately ship oilseeds and cash crops...
Federal officials are moving forward with a belated initiative to form a regulatory...
May 21 , 2022 . By TSION HAILEMICHAEL
A consortium of agrochemical importers has pleaded with central bank authorities for...
Put your comments here