Page 47 - Kyalami issue 4 2021

Leading pulmonologist and author of "The Boy Who Never ADVERTORIAL

Gave Up", Dr Emmanuel Taban visited St Peter’s College and

delivered this inspirational speech.

hen I was a young boy so caught up in their own little world that not one that we are fleeing from. Let’s
at school the thought of they can lose sight of the bigger picture show the world that we can rise and be a
Shakespeare made me and the long-term benefits of hard work. great and powerful nation. We have the
Wwant to run in the opposite Everyone wants to be rich and successful tools, the resources and the untapped
direction. It always felt like it was just and sometimes the lines between right potential of this land. We are just as
history about people in ancient times and wrong get blurred. It’s important to productive, just as intelligent and just as
and had no relevance in my life. Looking realise that every choice you make has powerful as any other first world country
back at that line, Hamlet referred to life or long-term consequences. Never forget the but it takes us working together to make it
death relating to the pain and unfairness sound values and morals that your school one. A power tool without the skills to use
of life and to that I can definitely relate stands for – they will keep you grounded. it, the energy to power it and the wood to
and I’m pretty sure so can you. I guess cut, is a useless piece of equipment with
some things are still the same no matter The COVID pandemic has shown us how no value.
what century we live in. fragile the South African economy can
be. First world countries took a huge When I was a registrar studying to
There was many a time in my life when knock with their high mortality rates but become a physician, it was a very difficult
I was ready to give up. Multiple times, I they recovered and got back up quickly. time for me even though I had physically
ended up in jail, having no food or clothes Their deep wounds were quickly aided by faced so much hurt and pain by then. The
and sleeping on the streets, rejected by their strong systems and their belief in registrars, all striving to achieve the same
my family, friends and the world. In all their country, resulting in economic and goal, were so segregated. It was generally
these times, I managed to get through it emotional stability. We, as South Africans, racial or gender segregation and it almost
all, and that’s because I never gave up have very deep wounds and we need to felt like each of these groups were fighting
hope. I longed for a happier future and stop removing the scabs and recycling each other. We are all different and
that’s what drove me. our past. We need to use this time as an unique individuals, with different talents
inspiration for where we want to be. It’s and skills. I came very close to quitting a
We all start each chapter of our lives by the many scars on my body that remind few times in my career because of these
asking ourselves a very similar question. me of my past and it only makes me differences. If we choose to focus on the
‘To do or not to do’. This is asked in stronger for the future. value of our different unique talents and
everything we do whether for personal work together we could create something
or academic choices. Sometimes, these A Google search on South Africa will amazing. If we choose to complain about
choices are fairly easy to make, and reveal an unspeakable crime rate, how our lives are ruined because of our
sometimes we have to ponder over them exceptionally high unemployment race or sex or culture, create divisions
for a while. statistics and economic instability. Every amongst our fellow colleagues and use
one of you seated here today together them as an excuse for failure, blaming
These difficult decisions are where I find with the collective South African youth the whole world, then we would probably
that the reward is not always financial at large can take us out of this cycle. end up in the same cycle of hate and
but sometimes life-saving, meaningful, You are the generation that can use your discrimination that society has made us
valuable or ethical. One day, whilst I skills and talents to rebuild our country believe but, more importantly, we end up
was travelling from South Sudan to with a solid new foundation that can’t be disappointed and empty.
South Africa, I came to a river. If I could knocked down.
just cross the river to the other side, it Don’t conform to the world but let’s find a
would make my journey so much shorter. With only five years of formal schooling common ground that makes us humans.
The river looked narrow enough and I at the age of 18, I realised that I needed Cultural differences shouldn’t divide us
thought it would be simple enough. As I education to unlock my potential. I had but accepting that there are differences
approached the river and made my way just passed my first attempt at matric and understanding where they come from
into the water I saw a few hippos from but it was never going to give me the makes us less judgemental of each other.
afar. At the time I didn’t realise how foundation I needed for a good future so Let’s find common goals. Let’s try to find
dangerous they were and I was stupidly I made a decision to redo my matric, this a solution for climate change. Let’s work
brave. They looked at me almost warning time with focus, determination, passion, together to achieve these goals.
me not to cross. I felt the current and prayer and a little bit of help from my high
depth of the river and I then realised that school. If I look back, it was an almost
it wasn’t the fear of the hippos that made impossible task. I was 20 years old with
me take a few steps back and get onto no money, gardening for the little that
the solid ground but it was their warning I received, but I dreamt of a better life
that the water was too dangerous for me and today I am a qualified well-known
to cross. Those hippos saved my life that pulmonologist with that better life. If I
day. Between the river, crocodiles and
garden now it’s purely for fun. I built a
TO BE OR NOT TO BE. hippos I’m pretty sure I would have died if new foundation on solid ground.
I had attempted to cross. Sometimes, we
When you are down on the ground you
need to look at our surroundings and stop
THAT IS THE QUESTION. to think before just rushing into things can stay down and cry or you can get up
because they look like an easy way out.
and stand together. Let’s develop, inspire
and innovate and make South Africa the
In this age of social media, youngsters get type of country that we are proud of and

Kyalami Estates • CONNECT • Issue 4 2021 45