To hear Wossene T. Bowler speak about her passion to give back to her native country in any way she can possibly think of, is to come face to face with the clarity of thought and sincerity of conviction that a brush with death can sometimes implant.  You see, Wossene lives today “…for the purpose of serving her people” as the ultimate embodiment of her gratitude to God for having given her a second chance at life. 

A Painful Discovery
An Ethiopian by birth, Wossene was a C.M.L. leukemia patient for whom it seemed the end was approaching before she was given a second lease on life.  She left Ethiopia in the 1980’s to pursue educational opportunities in the United States and pursued her studies through the middle of graduate school for Film until she met and married her husband of 17 years, Dennis Bowler in 1991.  As they embarked on a happily married life and made plans to build a family together, Wossene underwent a series of tests in preparation for attempting to have a child.  It was then that her doctors discovered her condition and communicated the bad news to her on the morning of her birthday as she and her husband prepared for a celebratory trip nearby.

Thus began a dark chapter in Wossene’s life from which it seemed there was no way out.  Initially, there had not even been any prospects of a bone marrow replacement match for her until her brother’s unintended visit to the US finally fulfilled this critical part of Wossene’s treatment options.  Wossene recalls the 6 months of intense and often painful therapy that followed, “The medical procedure and the chemotherapy were pretty much hard to bear.  They literally kill you to heal you.”  But her husband, family and friends stayed by her side during her battle to overcome the often fatal condition and she credits this with helping her swift and seemingly miraculous recovery with her leukemia eventually going into full remission.  To express her gratitude to God and her family, Wossene on a trip to Ethiopia shortly after her recovery made the promise that would define the remainder of her life, “I came all the way from north to south praying and expressing my thanks at different churches and monasteries.  I made a vow to God by saying, I will serve you by serving the people.”

The Second Chance
Wossene is now the founder of Life’s Second Chance Foundation as well as the promoter and developer of a referral hospital project in the town of Sheno in Ethiopia where she was born and raised.  “Throughout my first visit to Ethiopia, the question that was bugging me was where and how cancer patients get treated?’  I have been told that the only medical facility available was at Tikur Anbessa Hospital. What struck me the most was that the hospital only had one radiotherapy machine and quite a number of cancer patients were waiting in the hallways for their name to be called.”  When she found out that more Africans die yearly from cancer by far than from HIV/AIDS, she knew that building such a hospital would become a driving force in her life for the foreseeable future.

The foundation was launched in 2005 towards this objective using the most up to date medical equipment and facilities.  The planned 4-story complex hospital will have 270 rooms including a bone marrow department and long stay wards for outpatients and their families.  It is estimated that it will cost just over 84 Million ETB to build, outfit and run the hospital.

The Joy of Giving Back
Although Wossene may have originally started out on her objectives to keep her promise, she states that doing so has given her a joy and zest for life that she says is ‘indescribable’.  Whenever she sets foot in Ethiopia, she relates a feeling unlike any other even though she lives a comfortable life in an affluent American community with a loving husband.  It is partly for this reason that she believes the Diaspora in particular should play a much bigger role in helping Ethiopia in a variety of ways.  There are certainly many challenges involved in doing so amongst which is the proliferation and passing nature of many Ethiopian charities abroad as well as some level of indifference that this phenomenon sometimes results in.   Nevertheless, Wossene continues to do her part by establishing chapters for Life’s Second Chance in many cities including Addis Ababa leaning on both Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians alike as well as offering to work with established NGOs.  To date, Wossene has mostly funded the foundation’s activities from her personal resources until fundraising can sustain its objectives. 

To that end the foundation has organized a concert that will have been held on the 1st of March, 2008 at the new Millennium Hall in Addis.  It is one of many in Addis and beyond that Life’s Second Chance Foundation with the support of the general public, hopes will help achieve the realization of a dream to check the silent killer which today claims twice as many lives as HIV/AIDs on the African continent.

For more information on the foundation and how you can get involved, please visit its website at www.lifessecondchance.org .

Comments (1)

We need more Wossenes
written by Abebe Haregewoin , July 02, 2008

If our country had ten more Wossenes, attacking different issues, with the same dedication and zeal, how long our country would have progressed. In this day and age, when it is the fashion to criticize and demonize, there are these bright spots of light in this apparent dark firmament that seems to envelop communication among Ethiopians. Wossene has emerged from the hell of cancer to bring the gift of heaven to her afflicted people. Her energy and gusto as well as her infectious devotion to her quest has brought her face to face with the powerful and the very common. While many would have long forsaken their quest, Wossene forges on from one success to the next, and soon there will be a cancer hospital in Ethiopia. We need dedicated citizens like her more than the politicians who promise a better tomorrow when they somehow gain the upper hand in the affairs of our country. But where is their hand of mercy when our prople and children are dying from lack of a piece of bread or even a vitamin pill. When do we all come to our senses and build in on the good will of our people by supporting the likes of Wossene? How would they know if those of us who aspire and pretend to be the future leaders do not embrace and support the works of the likes of Wossene? When do we raise our hands in unison from our economic and intellectual might in the diaspora to build the edifices that will improve and save lives in our country? Where is the kind and soft heart of our ancestors and the milk of kindness of our culture in these days of need and privation of our people. Let us all give a hand to Wossene and by fullfiling her dreams let us also share in her triumph!