a flash of delight

I want to share something special with you today,

Twelve years ago my friend, Jesse Rohde traveled to rural Africa with the desire to make a difference in the world. He has since founded The Rohde Founation which is dedicated to providing “social justice, health care and hope in rural Africa,”

What prompts someone to embark on such a journey?

After traveling to Ghana with Operation Crossroads, Jesse says he was left with questions: ” What can I do to make peoples lives better? How can I make the struggling [people] more optimistic about their health care futures? The Rohde Foundation grew from these questions.”

Jesse said that he started the Foundation in response to the question, “What can I do to affect peoples lives? How can I increase life security in a survival society? The answer was simple – travel door to door letting people know that you are working with, and for, them…that health care access is on the way. This is what was promised 12 years ago, and what has been realized this year.”

This is a picture of a cocoa shed which as become a health clinic in Ghana. Isn’t that a miracle? I’ve learned in my own life that miracles are most often wrought through hard work, dedication and a love for the work that you’re doing. That is certainly the case here. Jesse travels to Ghana every June and says he will do so throughout his own residency and plans to eventually spend half of his time in Africa.

“Although it is truly a lifetime of work, I envision a life where access to health care is provided to rural villages throughout Africa – a model for the future of rural health care that can be duplicated and expanded continent wide. I have come to know rural Ghana, and other parts of Africa as second homes for me. I believe in the concept of the global village – that the lives of Ghana’s villagers are equal to my own; that the health of the village grandmother in Oheema, Ghana is equal and as valuable as the health of my own loved ones.”

I am always looking for inspiration – not only in photography and art but in life. And when you find inspiration in something that improves the quality of someone’s life, well that is something really special. I love Jesse’s passion for this work and I hope to be able to become more involved in the Foundation this year.

The website for the Jesse Rohde Foundation is currently undergoing updates but you can visit facebook page for more info. I’ll be posting more info soon as well.

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit”
– Nelson Henderson

What do you do to make a difference? What inspires you?