In a world where materialistic pursuits often take center stage, the real strength is to choose a path less travelled. The one where joy is derived from nurturing the growth of others. Trailblazing such path in healthcare space, Dr. Misker Kassahun has been inspiring millions!
With a white coat donned for healing and a heart dedicated to service, Dr. Misker embodies the profound meaning and value of leading a purposeful life. This commitment to service has manifested through her exceptional work as the Co-founder and Executive Director of GIV Society Ethiopia.
At the helm of GIV Society Ethiopia, Dr. Kassahun’s empathy for her community shines bright, illustrating the genuine concept of “empowering society with healthcare.” Her mission is clear: to foster a “culture of volunteerism” while making a substantial impact in addressing societal challenges.
One of GIV Society Ethiopia’s flagship projects is a monthly free medical service campaign, orchestrated under Dr. Kassahun’s visionary leadership. Despite facing the constraints of limited resources, particularly in terms of financing and human capital, the organization continues to provide vital medical services to hundreds of community members in Addis Ababa, free of charge.
Misker Kassahun’s story is not just about leading a nonprofit; it’s about leading with compassion, purpose, and a commitment to making the world a better place.
We at IMPAAKT, were honoured to interview Dr. Kassahun. Delve deeper into her remarkable journey and explore the profound impact she’s creating through GIV Society Ethiopia.
Dr. Kassahun, can you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to pursue a medical career and a career in modeling?
I am trained as a medical doctor and graduated from St. Paul’s Hospital Millenium Medical College in 2020. I then co-founded and ran a local nonprofit organization called GIV Society Ethiopia, besides the multiple full-time and part-time engagements I had. I am pursuing my master’s in public health at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, USA. My modeling career started unexpectedly during my third year of medical school. I had an opportunity to compete for a title called Miss Supranational Ethiopia 2016 and to represent my country in Poland among 80 other countries. After that, I represented Ethiopia in major international pageants: Miss Universe Ethiopia 2017 1st runner up, Miss Africa Beauty Queen 2017, and Miss University Africa 2017. I was inspired to pursue a medical career and modeling due to my belief that human beings can excel in multiple sectors and my desire to inspire youth to lead a holistic life.
Your journey is marked by excellence in both academics and extracurricular activities. How do you believe such a balanced approach can impact the youth’s development? What advice would you give to young individuals who aspire to excel in multiple fields, just as you have?
Youth can learn a lot about themselves and better understand the world when they are engaged in academics and extracurricular activities. Contrary to popular belief that extracurricular activities make you weak in academics, substantial research proves that it makes you perform better. A balanced approach is marked by improved social skills, deeper self-understanding, strong networking skills, and long-term desirability in the career market.
I advise youth to always be curious and ready to learn. One of the benefits of being young, among many others, is the desire for change, learning, and understanding of our environment, concepts, and people. I urge young people to use this desire and curiosity to engage in multiple fields. That is one of the ways they will become a better professional, community member, and citizen.
Please tell us about the inception of GIV Society Ethiopia and its mission to address social challenges through volunteerism.
GIV Society Ethiopia was born out of me and my co-founder’s aim to give back to our community in our capacity. We both have been active leaders and volunteers since medical school. When we got the opportunity and support to start a local nonprofit organization, we did not hesitate. Community involvement is essential to bring lasting social impact, especially in countries like Ethiopia, where there are multiple pressing challenges to the well-being and prosperity of the population. Our mission is simple:
We provide essential healthcare services and promote volunteerism to build access for underserved communities. We have successfully upgraded our philosophy that social impact or giving back can be done after one has enough money, is high up on the corporate ladder, or is influential. We have been teaching and effectively showing that impact can be in giving services, sharing skills, using professional networks, and so much more. Due to this, in the past nearly 3 years, we have had the pleasure of working with close to 1,000 volunteers to provide free medical service to more than 4,000 underserved communities in Addis Ababa.
What motivated you to Co-found GIV Society, and how has your leadership contributed to the organization’s success?
I have been passionate about community impact, fundraising, charity work, and helping others since a young age. I started developing my skills by doing small fundraising events, from primary school to organizing events in my medical school. I was motivated to Co-found GIV Society Ethiopia due to my desire to contribute to the healthcare system and civic responsibility. Under my leadership, I have taken the organization from its infancy to its current status. GIV Society Ethiopia has become a well-known brand among young healthcare professionals.
It is well-recognized by the government and other organizations for its broad volunteer involvement. My leadership has also contributed to providing comprehensive service to the community services, which goes beyond numbers and is heavily interested or focused on bringing tangible improved health outcomes. Under my leadership, I also supported the launch of the mental health department, which has been doing well by providing mental health awareness advocacy work, facilitating psychological assessment in our medical outreach events, and providing free virtual psychiatric consultations for health professionals.
Can you share a particularly impactful story or project undertaken by the GIV Society that stands out to you?
I have many stories that I keep going back to when I need to remind myself the work we do is essential when challenges arise. One was during a project we jointly conducted with Eneho Fikir Social and Humanitarian Organization in a public primary school. The project aimed to give comprehensive health care to selected students and parents who didn’t have access to affordable and quality health care due to low socio-economic status.
During one of the campaigns, we provided pediatric heart disease screening, with one of our volunteers being a pediatric cardiologist and generously coming with his portable echo. He was able to pick a life-threatening but majorly asymptomatic heart disease. We then connected her with a tertiary hospital and got her free open-heart surgery. If not for our volunteer and campaign, this kid would have had a difficult childhood and possible complications leading to death. I also have many stories of us picking emergency cases such as hypertensive crises and diabetic ketoacidosis in unsuspecting patients and rushing them to our partner tertiary hospitals where they could get life-saving stabilization.
How does the GIV Society contribute to empowering young volunteers and positively impacting communities?
Our most significant contributions come from curating medical outreach projects and events where we allow young and seasoned health professionals to volunteer.
During our day-long monthly outreach events, we bring in different health professionals, from medical students up to sub-specialist doctors, to give their medical services, network with each other, and interact with our team. These young volunteers are also given a chance to provide health education to the patients, join our team to serve in different positions in our organizations to plan these medical outreaches, and many more. We provide a platform for professionals and volunteers to make a tangible impact.
Pursuing diverse passions often comes with its own set of challenges. What were some of the challenges you faced while simultaneously pursuing a medical career, administering GIV Society, Ethiopia, and modeling?
Engaging in many different activities is challenging, but naturally, I love challenges, which drive me to growth. Some of the challenges I faced at the early face of pursuing medical school and modeling were time management and explaining to some of my teachers why I was pursuing multiple paths. My school community supported my modeling journey during medical school.
However, I still had to explain to some of my teachers and professors how they could be done successfully. I faced some hardship from people who wanted to put women in one box and who wanted me to choose between academics and art. But I challenged them and proved it is worth pursuing both.
In your role as a co-founder and executive director, what were the major obstacles you encountered while establishing and growing the GIV Society? How did you overcome them?
The central struggle I initially had was a need for more adequate skills. Even though I was incredibly passionate about what we did in GIV Society Ethiopia, I was fresh out of medical school when I registered officially and got to work. Most team members were medical doctors who needed formal managerial training, which challenged us. I had to learn many new skills, such as financial management, nonprofit management, fundraising, project management, and public relations. Like many nonprofit organizations, the other major obstacle is raising adequate funding to carry out all the projects and programs we planned for. Even though we had big plans and vision, we were significantly constricted (still are) by the financial aspect.
Your commitment to mental health advocacy is evident! How did you become passionate about this cause, and what steps are you taking to bridge the gap in mental health awareness within the Ethiopian community?
I have always been curious about how the human mind works. I was fascinated with the intricacies of human behavior, psychological well-being, and mental illnesses. My passion became even more vital during medical school when I struggled with depression and anxiety. I saw the stigma and isolation firsthand, which made me become an advocate and contribute to better mental health care services in my community.
My steps include using social media to advocate mental health and well-being, establishing the mental health department in GIV Society Ethiopia, and recently actively contributing to a project titled “Mental Health for Health Professionals.” I have been very vocal about my personal struggles. I use my social media to write about mental health and use public speaking opportunities to start conversations regarding mental well-being.
With the Mental Health for Health Professionals project, which is very close to our heart, we have utilized social media and mass media to discuss the rising physician Suicide and mental health issues in Ethiopia. We have also provided many health professionals with free psychiatric evaluations thanks to our gracious partners like the WeCare Digital Healthcare Platform.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future, both in terms of your medical career, where you are also pursuing your master’s from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and your involvement with GIV Society?
My short-term plan is to become a better public health expert and get a global perspective on the healthcare system. I am committed to learning and improving myself during my stay at Johns Hopkins University, where I am already getting opportunities to learn from distinguished professors and students worldwide. I plan to learn best practices for improved healthcare services, providing equitable services, and approaches to better implementation of public health.
With this knowledge and experience, I plan to return to Ethiopia and work towards a better healthcare system. Regarding GIV, even though I am away from Ethiopia, I still actively support the team back home. I plan to primarily help with fundraising and grants, considering I am in the DMV area, where a larger Ethiopian community resides.
