BE PASSIONATE AND PLAY YOUR ROLE - Meet Flower Bekele a Young Women Veterinary medicine student from Haramaya University

My name is Flower Bekele. I’m a 5^th year DVM student at Haramaya University.  I grow up in a city called Diredawa, but now I’m living in Hawassa. From my childhood, I remember we have a cat called “Konjit” and a dog named “Pitter”.  My family really loves animal specially my dad. pitter is a symbol of loyalty for me till now.

When I was child, I used to be sick because of tonsillitis. I go to hospitals more often than expected. This was a big reason that pushes me to wonder about doctors. The more I go to hospitals, the more I become excited about doctors specially pediatricians. This is how my passion was born.

I start dreaming about being a doctor not only dreaming, I keep saying I’m gone be a doctor without knowing what it really requires to be. Because, their action was captured in my mind. I grow up so fast and become a big girl. I took 12 entrance exams then the result came with unexpected news. The unexpected news was ma score was not enough to learn human medicine.

I try to calm myself and do right things. The right thing was to look up other choice to stay in health sectors. I wrote veterinary medicine as my second choice next to human medicine.

You can look from my choice how I am interested in health issues and helping other people. My choice fits with my score. This means my passion is still live. I start learning veterinary medicine at Haramaya University. The more I took class then my passion becomes clear.

‘My passion is being myself not copying another people passion.’

Even if I am student at this time, I am working on it. Here are some of my passions; I want to be doctor who knows for sure how to heal his patient and satisfy the owner, play my role as veterinarian for our community by creating awareness about how to handle animals, animal welfare, and healthcare issues including zoonotic diseases and so on. 

Animals and their products are big resource to get in to international market. I want to open up farm that keeps its safety to the environment and humans. The farm can be poultry, beef and dairy or another farm. My passion doesn’t stop here. It will continue until I die. Those passion only shows my passion around my career. I am on my way to make my passion live and real.

I am a member in group of Young Vet, Vet sustain, One Health Ethiopia, and admin of Ethiopian student one health innovation club on telegram. I learn a lot from those groups, so I suggest you should join those groups and share your story, get latest information about health issues and play your role.

I believe in Ethiopia veterinary medicine as a profession does not reach at the level developed countries working on by this time. However, I am very glad and thankful to those who have been working hard to give us what we have now.

It’s our (young vets, one health members) time to keep up what we have received from them and bring change, create stable environment for all mankind and animal. You all have your own role to this world. so, play it. I hope you will learn something from my story and passion.

Author: Beyond Student for Change Initiative