"We can only be human together"

"It speaks to the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong to the whole, to the community, to the tribe, to the nation, to the earth... We can only be human together." - Desmond Tutu

Time and again this year we've been blown away by the unstoppable force of the human spirit and the good we can create when we come together. By all accounts, the world is in the midst of an incredibly difficult year and yet, we have had so many small moments of joy and feeling uplifted, which taken together can grow into hopefulness for our journey ahead. I'm reminded of what poet and author Ross Gay said, "It is not all that puzzling to me that joy is possible in the midst of difficulty."

Our global Watsi community has faced unparalleled uncertainty, job loss, floods and wild fire evacuations, illness and death, loneliness far from loved ones, and a disruption to the regular, comforting cadence of life. In spite of all of this, we've continued to dig deep and come together every single day to truly change the lives of others. We've been forces for good in our own communities and for those who we have never met, who may live thousands of miles away. And, when we take moments to celebrate and be grateful for this good that is happening, our whole world brightens.

We're grateful that, since March, our community has ensured that more than 1,000 patients have had access to critical healthcare. Together we've supported families such as Twamubwine's from Uganda who in September was in need of $252 for a safe c-section to ensure a healthy delivery for her baby. Her husband is a primary school teacher and has been without income for months since local schools closed due to the pandemic. Imagine the deep joy we felt when she told us after welcoming her new healthy baby:

“I am extremely happy for this opportunity in the midst of COVID-19. I am so grateful for your efforts towards saving my life and my baby. I will continue serving our nation as a nurse.”

In recent months, we've heard from you that supporting healthcare for patients on Watsi has helped you feel more human and actually helpful at a time when it can be hard to know how to best give back and feel confident that it is really doing good. Others (including me) have taken time with their children at home to meet Watsi patients, learn a bit more about the world, and begin to pass along the importance of helping others to the next generation. One highpoint was our first Twitch livestream, which brought together hundreds of people who hadn't even heard of Watsi and raised $4,478 to support 21 Watsi patients. We were very 😭😭😭 (happy tears) over here that day.

As we intentionally take time this month to celebrate how our Watsi community has come together to truly change lives, I am reminded that bringing light into the world is a practice and muscle that we can each learn to flex more and more. In doing so, it makes our own lives more full, and fuller for those with whom we are lucky enough to cross paths, even if only virtually at this time. We hope by sharing how grateful we are for each of you who have come together in our global community, it may inspire you to take time to share a message with someone who has impacted your own life. It is sure to bring them a moment of joy ☀️.