Witnessing poverty first-hand during my youth in the Caribbean was bitter-sweet, in the sense that albeit a small part of me appreciated how fortunate I was, that feeling was overwhelmed with the realization of how unjust the world was, with all its inequality, poverty and suffering. It made me realize how poverty was not only the problem of individuals, but of society and humanity. Indeed, it spurred me into action, where I volunteered in charities focussing on education and the environment. Moreover, with the onset of the Financial Crisis further affecting the fragile tourist-driven communities of the Dominican Republic and Barbados, I became interested in studying Economics. However, I soon discovered it was blatantly concerned with mere economic growth and transformation; widely ignoring social concerns, which remained or worsened post-financial 07/08 crisis. Therefore, it is the Master's in International Development: Public Policy and Management, that I am currently undertaking at the University of Manchester, which truly brings me closer to understanding what hinders the achievement of human potential in developing nations, and potential solutions to address them.
In essence I am following my heart and admittedly, my mum's advice of: “Don’t live to work, work to live”. But what if both can be had, where my life is dedicated to helping others which feels right, just and fulfilling. Indeed, I believe educated minds should set themselves to the development and social concerns of our generation, and not how to maximize profits or rectify public finances. This is why I was immediately taken by this Polio project, students uniting our influence and knowledge to help raise money for a cause which can eliminate one more worry for developing countries and their future generations.
As little as thirty years ago polio affected hundreds of thousands of people, but because of concerted efforts to eradicate such a potentially crippling and life-threatening virus, today less than 10 cases remain. Personally, I am honoured to be a part of this dedicated team in helping eradicate polio and its dolorous symptoms!