This is the story of a special man, who really does want to give something back, and is doing so in a manner which will shame many millionaires and billionaires, i.e. those who feel that by sending a cheque to a charity, they have “done their bit”.
It seems that these financially privileged high rollers really do have more money than sense, because it is a well-known fact that much of what we give to the “big” charities goes towards the administration of these charity giants.
One would think that wealthy contributors would find some other, more direct route to channel their aid, instead of just ploughing their contributions into a charity which is so big, it has attained the status of “corporation” and as such, requires the bulk of monies collected to keep it running, i.e. pay bills, staff, advertising, etc. A typical example, one that most people are blissfully unaware of, is Unicef, which utilises 99.8% of monies raised to cover salaries.
The same can be applied to virtually all of the major charities, worldwide. Are you now thinking about the money you have given to such charities in the past? Good. Phase one of this story has met its objective.
The Wings Of Healing charity is very different to these collecting mechanisms, in several ways. Though work had begun long before, WOH was officially registered in 2012 by Onsy Louca, a Harrow based doctor who works in both the private sector and also for the NHS. He is one of those people who view the glass as half full, and it is this positive attitude, coupled with an acknowledgement of his “blessed” position which has made him feel obliged to help others less fortunate than himself – something he has done in some capacity, for many years.
He does feel that he is especially privileged, as he has a healthy family – something we all take for granted, but which he does view as a fragile luxury, a luxury he wishes to pass on to others in countries which are seriously impoverished. Of course, there are those who may feel that charity should start closer to home, i.e. the UK, but Onsy felt that there were countries far worse off in general than the population here in the UK, where we do indeed have assistance via the NHS, a benefits system to help with financial aid, and several bodies to which our underprivileged, elderly and children can turn to. Thus, he began to look further afield, to see where his help would be best utilised.
Having identified Ethiopia (No.162 on the “world’s poorest” list) as in greater need of medical aid than even his native Egypt, (No.35 on the list at the time), he decided that this was where he would concentrate his efforts, in particular, Addis Ababa, where contacts with the church made it easier to establish links in the region. Although he acknowledges that he cannot save the world, Onsy firmly believes that every little step towards helping others is a step closer to uniting us all. A wondrous sentiment – what a shame some of the religious &/or world leaders cannot follow this doctrine
Onsy registered the charity, with the understanding that it would NEVER use money from contributions to keep itself, i.e. it will not utilise money collected, to offset expenses of any kind. Therefore, every penny collected goes directly into the pot, to be used expressly for the charity. Hard to believe? Read on….
Having identified his “operational field”, Onsy planned an initial journey to see exactly what hardships the people of Addis Ababa faced. He devised a plan to fly out to Addis Ababa twice a year, spending 2 weeks at a time, along with a carefully selected team. They would carry out surgical procedures and administer medicines etc., completely free, on a first come first served basis.
In short, offer humanitarian aid which is otherwise unavailable to these people, as it would cost them the equivalent of 2 month’s salary to be treated for simple ailments like tonsillitis, tooth removal, hernia treatment, etc. Additionally, Team Onsy would advise, educate, counsel and generally offer assistance where possible. Prior to the initial journey, word was spread via a local ad that Onsy and his team would be arriving at a local hospital to help people with any ailments, free of charge. On arrival, he and his team found a queue of 500 people! They were able to treat 43, but this stampede gave an indication as to the mammoth task ahead.
This is where it gets interesting, yet unbelievable, financially. For Onsy and his chosen team, there was no outside funding to fly everyone to the region in order to establish a base of operations. Since the inception of the charity there has been absolutely no funding at all, in the conventional sense. The only local amenity utilised is the local hospital, where the surgical procedures are carried out, and to that end, the beds are used for the recovery of patients. However, that is the only assistance that WOH receives – the use of the beds and a room for the procedures to take place in. ALL surgical equipment, medicines, etc. for this purpose have been purchased by Onsy, personally.
On each occasion that a trip has been made to the region by Onsy and his team of 15 (doctors, anaesthetists, nurses, etc.), the air fares (approximately £600 return per person) are paid for by Onsy. The members of the team are more than happy to give their time for free but are not able to fund themselves, thus Onsy pays all the expenses. Yes, he does this personally out of his own pocket. He also pays for food and other expenses for the group, all instruments, medical supplies, brochures and leaflets for distribution, etc. Each trip can cost him between £45k – £50k! However, undeterred by these costs, he continues to do this twice a year, spending his 4 weeks of annual leave helping others, and all at a high financial cost to himself.
He truly is giving something back.
His whole family have become involved, all as volunteers. His wife is the secretary of the Charity, looking after all the organising and paperwork. His daughter holds a cake bake twice a year, purchasing all the ingredients with her own money, and selling for all she is worth over a 2 day period. She then puts ALL of the money made from the sale into the charity. None of it is used to offset monies she initially paid for the ingredients necessary to make the cakes, nor for her costs in parking at the hospital car park all day whilst the cake sale is on. This is why the charity is so different.
No wages or expenses are taken, neither will they ever be. Any expenses incurred are absorbed by the individuals who have volunteered to help. Anyone who does anything for the charity does so on the understanding that no money will be paid, not even costs, as that will take away from the main purpose. The charity has not, as is the case with many other charities, been set up to provide money for the less fortunate, yet become such a monster that it consumes most of the contributions, in order to exist. onsylouca05Onsy registered the charity as a mechanism which would never use contributions other than for direct assistance, and this can never be changed. He would not have it any other way.
Here is a brief outline of what the people of Ethiopia are up against. In a country where disease, malnutrition and poverty are common place in the region, additional problems that these wretched people face, compared with the UK are as follows:
The average lifespan of a woman in the UK is 83
The average lifespan of a woman in Ethiopia is 48!
In Harrow, West London, there are 2,000 doctors servicing a population of 550,000
In Ethiopia, there are 2,000 doctors servicing a population of 92 million!
6-10% of the population are HIV positive. People are not able to understand the realities and dangers of HIV, and with little or no information available to them, this is to be expected.
One of the most common crimes in Ethiopia, and a contributor to the HIV figures too, is rape. Hardly anyone is tried for this heinous crime, as the legal system cannot, as in Western countries, investigate with forensics and the care we may take in proving such allegations. It also does not help that it is so prevalent that it is not viewed as a serious crime. Many children are born as a result of rape.
Most mothers cannot look after these children and abandon them, and the resultant figure of homeless children is testament to this. There are 1.5 million street kids in Ethiopia. Parents simply have no way to feed them, and thus encourage them to leave the home to go out and fend for themselves. A child thus rejected is considered no more important by the general population than a feral cat. If such a child is, for example, hit by a car, the car will not stop. The body is pushed to the side of the street and covered with newspapers, until the refuse collectors appear to collect and dispose of the body. Such children, with no adult protection, are also easy targets for sexual predators – yet another problem which is very common and difficult to manage. As in many countries where poverty is rife, human trafficking, in particular into sex slavery, is common.
It is something which has become accepted in this most unfortunate country. People are shipped off to other regions, and indeed, other countries, with the promise of a better life. None of them ever seem to return to report on whether this new life is indeed, better, which begs the question: What happens to them?
This is the way of Ethiopia. There is no room for sympathy. Nobody can afford to be sympathetic or caring as it may affect their own ability to survive.
These are just some of the hardships and terrible conditions that these people have to endure. It is Onsy’s plan to help educate, as well as to heal. Therefore, he has already set up his first base to take in some of these unfortunate youngsters.
The Children’s Village is in essence an orphanage. It initially housed 17 children, and currently holds 33 rescued, happy children, who are being taught to read, write, interact, and have for the first time experienced love, harmony, and a feeling of belonging. However, it does not stop there. Plans have been approved, and land has been granted by officials, for a huge complex which will house the orphanage (for 100 children, though originally planned for 80), a school, medical facilities with a teaching hospital to train locals, and even a full-size football pitch. Onsy has already bought the full Arsenal kit for the youngsters currently at the orphanage, and sees sport as a way to build friendships within the circle of children.
Onsy has a personal saving of £50k to go towards the Children’s Village, but it is nowhere near enough to complete the building. The project would cost £20 million in the UK, but will cost a fraction (£700K) to complete in Addis Ababa. However, it is still a substantial sum. His efforts to raise more funds for this project have been constant, and he has recently seen another plan come to life.
Onsy’s latest idea, which was made possible through an influential and connected friend, was the securing of a room in the House of Lords in February 2014, for a fundraiser dinner, complete with a couple of WOH speakers to engage the diners and inform them of the plans and intentions of the charity. With only 120 tickets available at £200 each (at the time of writing 80 have already been sold), Onsy is also looking for sponsors who would pay to be able to leave their business cards at the tables. The diners on the night will be company CEO’s, Directors, etc. and as such, influential decision makers in their respective arena.
Therefore, cards on the table introducing IT services, accountancy, banking facilities, etc. would all potentially be viewed by leaders representing large conglomerates. Of course, he will appeal to the attending CEO’s to assist personally by donating to the cause, but that is to be expected. I would suggest that anyone reading this and wishing to attend this event, should contact B-C-ing-U and make their desire to attend known. You will then be contacted for your full details. Be aware that a full security screening will be carried out, for obvious reasons.
If this article has impressed you enough to instil in you the desire to contribute to a truly worthy cause, you can send any amount you wish, however small, via:
Nat West Bank
A/C Name: Wings of Healing
A/C No: 67627811
Sort Code: 60-15-30
You can rest in the knowledge that no-one will take a single penny from the amount you send, not as expenses, wages, or indeed, any other cost. Anybody who does anything for the charity, i.e. the banking, mailouts, collecting equipment to deliver to Onsy’s home before a trip to Addis Ababa, or driving Onsy to the airport, does so at their own expense. These are true charity workers. If there is a service or product which has to be secured using that good old fashioned commodity cash, then it is paid for by Onsy. Simple.
Quite what inspired Onsy to take on his task cannot be quantified by just one explanation. After all, what brings out any act of charity in an individual? However, Onsy Louca is a very driven individual and does more for others than anyone else I know. His giving nature has always been a wonderful facet I have been privileged to witness, and I have been left almost speechless several times, by his kindness.
He is indeed, a very special individual.