By: Manuel Claros
The “Living Proof Project,” created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, features true life testimonials that demonstrate the positive impact that global health/development interventions can have on individuals across the globe. The touching stories inspire us to reflect on our own experiences by connecting us to theirs. Sharing a personal story is different than just being another statistic, another number amongst the myriad of global health facts and figures we find ourselves inundated with constantly.
My personal story has had a deep impact on my life and where it has taken me. It is also why I was interested in starting a campaign to raise money for neglected tropical diseases. I am from Popayan, a small town in the south of Colombia and come from a big family where I am the eldest of 19 cousins on my paternal side and 16 on the maternal side. Growing up in my paternal grandmother’s house was a lot of fun because there were always a lot of kids to play with. On the weekends at any given time there would be 10-20 kids in the house. While this was very fun, it also meant that sickness traveled frequently from child to child. Everything from chicken pox to measles traveled through us all…..and of course parasites were not an exception.
» Read more: I am “Living Proof”
