Mountains Beyond Mountains Homepage ---> Contest Winners ---> Emily Zalewski

Third Place Mountains Beyond Mountains Essay Winner

Essay by Emily Zalewski

      Despite the incredibly advanced societies of our world, hundreds of millions of civilians go hungry every day. In Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains, Dr. Paul Farmer aims to eliminate a horrific yet common illness from Haiti: tuberculosis. Similar to Dr. Farmer’s patients, people affected by hunger and poverty usually live in underprivileged areas and have limited or no access to health care and other services. These situations arise as issues due to the prevalence and presence of poverty in an area, which is a global battle being fought on a daily basis. Mali, Sudan, Ethiopia, and the rest of Africa have been destroyed by hunger and poverty: issues which affect people all across the universe, directly and indirectly.

      Many of these nations sink into poverty and populations starve due to a few key issues in the homeland. Africans battle issues including malnourishment and vitamin deficiency in addition to starvation and famine. This undernourishment can lead to developmental issues, an immune system susceptible to illness, and eventually death – a death which could have been prevented or at least restrained. These countries contain overwhelming populations, political turmoil, social and human rights issues, failing economies, and lack social programs that we may take for granted. Africa isn’t quite the ideal location for business, as there is no draw for a business of any magnitude, but shouldn’t someone start a trend? Bringing in businesses that do not need to be located in cities like New York will create jobs for Africans, provide services such as job training and health care, and will give Africans the ability to support their family economically. By gradually improving areas one at a time, people will begin to cooperate and truly push to make an impact. If one person did something of this sort, then he or she would be making a tremendous contribution, and possibly be starting a trend.

      One person can make an impact on poverty in Africa. Bono-lead singer of the rock band U2-is notorious for his work with HIV/AIDS and bringing an end to poverty in Africa. The organization, One, is a perfect example of how one person truly can make an impact. By spending one dollar on a bracelet, a person can directly help support the organization and contribute to a better future for Africa; all it takes is one person to do one thing. If we were all to take action in some way, imagine what could be accomplished collectively, and how the situation in Africa could be mitigated. The purpose of One, aside from the obvious reasons, is to make it easier for people to become involved and informed of the tragic situation currently taking over Africa. Once people are informed, they have the ability to make better choices, are more likely to become involved, and can focus their time and interests on what is important to them. One person can join Greenpeace to protest whaling, or buy a bracelet from One to support the fight against AIDS and poverty, or become interested in any cause and pledge to be a true advocate: for themselves and for humanity. That one person can absolutely make a difference; all that is needed is a motive, determination, and a genuine aspiration to ameliorate the chosen cause, which might just be poverty and hunger. Once that person becomes involved, there is no limit to what he or she can accomplish. Dr. Paul Farmer went from living an atypical childhood to initiating Partners in Health and treating multitudes of Haitians in his very own clinic, all because of his determination to follow his dreams. All it took was this one man with a dream to advance humanity and impact other nations all over the world; just one person.

<--- Return to Contest Winners Page