''I Believe Every Inventions or Discoveries That Mankind Were Able To Bring Forth Would Not Had Succeeded If It Were Not For Team-Work’' - Meet Aron of ‘Beyond Student for Change Initiative’

''I Believe Every Inventions or Discoveries That Mankind Were Able To Bring Forth Would Not Had Succeeded If It Were Not For Team-Work’'

My name is Aron Alemayehu. I’m a DVM undergrad student in Addis Ababa University College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture (AAU-CVM). I’m currently working at ‘Beyond Student for Change initiative’, which is founded by a team of young passionate veterinary medicine students from AAU, MU and JU. Our solely purpose is to initiate and inspire the capable inputs (young professional veterinarians) in to veterinary field which will directly enhance the animal health and indirectly public health. 

I personally think every veterinarians must have love to Animals and this is the difference maker in up-bringing not just veterinarians but with standards. I am working in animal welfare unit in the initiative. I see there is a big gap in animal welfare and there are many cruelties done on animals that many veterinarians ignore altogether. So I had made it my responsibility to fight for the voiceless and clear conscience (since animals prove they are more loyal, loving and clear conscience).

 

I think the love to treat animals came from my earliest years. I was born and raised in the rural part of Ethiopia and had the privilege to raise my own pets and some backyard chickens. At the time i couldn’t afford to go to any veterinary centers, but I used to heal my sick animals whenever they are ill (even though some died) through local traditional remedies which were widely used at the time. I was happy to see my pets and chickens recover from illnesses and this felling became stronger with many experience which finally lead me be who I am now.

The second big experience in my childhood was HIV/AIDS, which back in those years the government was doing much social awareness on how to get treatment and diagnosis on HIV/AIDS. As an eager little boy, i was trying to know anything about this disease and i came to know two facts.

 

First HIV is the virus responsible to cause the disease that is claiming many lives around the globe and it was transmitted from chimpanzee (shocked by this finding). Second i came to know that there was no curable treatment (even with the scientific advancements) for this disease. So this little boy with so many information said to himself, ‘How can disease of animals affect humans? How can I find cure for this disease?’ so the only solution was to study hard. All these experience I had in my early childhood made me to go further in the veterinary medicine.

 

I believe every inventions or discoveries that mankind were able to bring forth would not had succeeded if it were not for team-work. I had the privilege to start Beyond Student for Change Initiative with strong willed and bright students like me. Even if we were studying Veterinary medicine when we started the initiative, it did not limited our insights, visions and responsibilities.  This won’t suppress our involvement in every sectors because everything is interwoven. We believe and advocate in One-Health approach. 

 

For all those that had finished their race and those that are currently working hard to make my country and this field great again, I would like to thank you on behalf of Beyond Student for Change Initiative. Without you pillars in Veterinary medicine history in Ethiopia, we the young have no icons to look up to. For all the young’s and future ones (including me) those that are full of passion, I would like to say keep on the good deeds and learn from your seniors and teach your juniors. Live in the mindset of beyond thinking. Never in your life time work for money or fame because it is the cage that leads to failure. Last but not least, those that do not have passion (with no empathy for the animals) for this field  but still studying Veterinary Medicine and blame the government, family or many circumstances for being in this field, I would recommend you to stop your complains and keep-up. Because I know there is this untapped potential in each one of you that if we work in synergism nothing is impossible.

Author: 

Beyond Student for Change Initiative