When Nonprofit Work Includes Danger

I say on my podcast (Around with Randall) at the end of each addition that being in the nonprofit arena is a great privilege and I’m lucky to do it—-and I hope others who listen feel the same way. Part of that realization was heightened by the simplicity of being safe (basic safety) while working with various clients. And for many of us, in the nonprofit world and out, we probably take safety for granted. At least I know I do.

There was a recent report out of Kenya that shattered that ideal of wellbeing for a group of nonprofit heroes. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders indicated that three of their employees, there to serve in healing the sick, were found murdered. All these three people, two from Ethiopia and one from Spain, wanted to do was help people through the idea of philanthropy— loving humankind. 

I truly believe what I do is somewhat important. I think the clients that I’m privilege to work with are doing much more important work than I do as I try to support them. But all of that pales in comparison when you read about individuals going halfway around the world to treat unarmed and innocent civilians while they expose themselves to terrible possibilities of war. I don’t have the skill set to go practice medicine, but even if I did, I’m not sure that I’d have the strength to leave my home and go do what heroes like those who are with Doctors Without Borders do every single day.

While any death is a tragedy, for the little section of the world that we call the nonprofit sector, this one seems to hit home a little deeper than most.