"I think it’s my duty to share the same stories on a larger platform so that we can discuss the possible solutions to some of the problems that are facing the people... there is so much power in you. There is so much power in your voice and if you come together, then there is so much more that you can achieve as a group."
Today it is my pleasure to introduce to you to Vivian Onano. Vivian was born and raised in Kenya, and is now pursuing a degree in Biology, Business Administration, and Economics at Carthage College. While in high school Vivian volunteered at Kenyatta Hospital, one of the largest referral hospitals in East &Central Africa, Mama Maria Clinic, and Flying Kites Children's Home. At Carthage, Vivian is a Half the Sky ambassador, ONE student, and is currently starting a FACE AIDS chapter.
In this conversation, Vivian shares how she uses her voice and community to create the change she wants to see in the world. For more on Vivian's story, check out this recent feature by ONE.
Can you tell me a little bit of your background? You’re doing a ton of things between Half the Sky, ONE, FACE AIDS, and conferences all over the summer. How did you get involved in this work?
Gladly. I was born and raised in Kenya. I went to both primary and high school in Kenya. I then came to United States in 2010 when I got a full scholarship with Carthage College, where I’ll graduate next year. The campus is very cold!
Growing up, I always loved serving other people. It’s something I learned from my grandmother whom I lived with when I was growing up. She went out of her way to help the people around her. She would share the food that she had at home. If somebody needed help-- somebody was sick-- she’d call and take care of him or her. I learned so much from her. I learned that you don’t have to have so much for you to give. You can share the little much you have and it will definitely brighten somebody’s life. Since then, I started volunteering when I was still in Kenya. I did a lot of volunteer work when I was in high school, both in school and outside school. I decided to use the power of my voice to affect change and so far it works and I’m still trying to do as much as I can.
Obviously you’re involved with a range of issues. What is it that makes you so involved in international development and global health? What is it that drives you?
What really drives me? I don’t know. I feel so happy when I’m very involved on these causes because not so many young people have this same platform. So, how am I using it to create opportunities for other young people? How am I using it to organize with other people? One of my greatest drives is personal satisfaction, and just knowing that by doing this, I’m creating an opportunity for somebody else. By doing this, I’m amplifying somebody’s voice that doesn’t have the same platform that I do. I’ve met people, I’ve listened to stories, and people keep on sharing their stories with me. I think it’s my duty to share the same stories on a larger platform so that we can discuss the possible solutions to some of the problems that are facing the people on the ground floor and not on the same table with most of our leaders.
Tell me about some of those platforms. I know that you’ve been traveling extensively this summer to different conferences and meetings and summits. Can you tell me a little bit about what you’ve been up to and the different platforms that you use to amplify those voices and share those stories?
I’ve been involved in a lot of speaking engagements, like the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken twice or thrice at the U.N. Two years ago I was invited to the White House. These are opportunities that not every student has access to. So, what am I doing with these opportunities? Do I just go there speak there and then leave and have everyone be like “Oh, we don’t even know why she was even here.” You have to go and have to have a case to present so that when you leave, people will always remember and say, “She said this and this is what we need to do” or “We discussed this and that so we can further our own discussion.” So I think I’ve used my conferences to create networks, build relationship with people, and also to share my passion and to share people’s stories that I’ve listened to, I’ve witnessed, and that I’ve passed on.
The power of stories and combining that with a sense of community of young people like you all over the world who are engaged in these issues, is very inspiring. In your work either as a ONE member or any of the things that you do, what are the biggest barriers that you see to getting other students involved in this kind of work?
One main problem is identifying your passion and your purpose in life. You should also grab and make use of opportunities because you need to have a network. The world is so connected that you can’t just live alone. You have to build on your network. Most people just have excuses and never want to go the extra mile. But there is so much power in you. There is so much power in your voice and if you come together, then there is so much more that you can achieve as a group. Most young people lack self confidence. Most young people don’t believe in the potential in themselves. So it takes them a long time to come out, even if they mean well, but to come out and do what they want to do in their community.
You have such a strong voice and you’ve found your passion. How do you help other people get over that? How do you help other people discover their own voice and passion in this life?
Recently I was just talking to a friend of mine she was like “Oh, Vivian there’s nothing I’ll ever achieve on this planet. I feel like, since I came to college, I’m worth less.” We had a heart to heart talk, and at the end of it she realized that she has so much potential in her. She realized that we share many insecurities and problems but I just chose to ignore them and focus. Most young people fear rejection and in the world today you are going to be rejected by so many people but again you are going to be accepted by so many people. It might take a lot of rejections for you to be accepted, but that’s how you build on your career, that’s how you build on your confidence. And that’s how life is. I mean, that’s the beauty of life because there are so many lessons that come with rejection and I have used my rejection to build my networks.
You’ve talked a lot about opportunities and jobs and networking and the future. Can you tell me about some of your professional goals and aspirations?
My main goal in life is to create sustainable healthcare systems in rural parts of Africa. That’s my ultimate goal in life. And in between, just being happy and doing what makes me happy. Right now everything is about sustainability. People need to come up with a sustainable model to these global issues that you’re talking about.
Are there organizations or people doing work in this space that you think are really excellent, specifically from the sustainability aspect?
I know quite a number of organizations that I think are doing a good job, but still I don’t think that everyone is excellent. There is still room for improvements. When I talk about sustainability, I think of a model that can thrive whether there are donors or no donors. Most projects in developing countries are donor-funded, so if the donors decide to back off, then it means so many lives are going to be affected and people will go back to square one and start all over again. I don’t think that should be the issue with the current generation. I think we should be speaking a different language than that.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to Vivian McElroy and Rasna Suri for transcribing this interview.
No comments:
Post a Comment