Essay Example on Martin Okabi: A Young African's Inspiring Story of Overcoming Adversity

Martin Okabi, a young African male in his mid-twenties, have had a past life that most youth or any human being would not wish to. Not that he has passed through the worst situation that everybody but his story is deep and sad. He was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and he has schooled in the country throughout and is currently undertaking an MBA in community service in the University of Nairobi. He is currently working with a non-governmental organization to help the less fortunate and giving hope to people that might be passing or have passed through a situation similar to or closer to his.

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Martin came to realize that life is unpredictable though people always plan for the best. He is the only one remaining from his family. He had two siblings who lived together at his father's servant's quarter, where he worked as a police officer. He was the second born but lived as the oldest child as they lost their older brother at a tender age from common illness that the doctors at a local hospital have misdiagnosed. They had at least gotten over the feeling of losing their brother when his mother was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. It was in the mid-2000s, and by that time, there was little cancer awareness of platforms that talked about it. The family stayed together with the help of friends and other extended family members. By this time, Martin was in the final year of his primary school education. The grades he gets in that final exam, which is usually a national exam would determine which high school he would join. The better the grades, the better the high school. He always wanted to impress his parents by scoring high grades as he wanted to be a doctor in the future. This did not change; his first degree was in bachelor of laboratory medics. His mother's illness affected him greatly, but he managed to score average grades that would secure him in a beautiful high school. After getting admitted in a boarding high school, his mother passed away. This was devastating, but with time together with the family, they were able to accept and move on.

Life was not the same again. The lively family was dull and not as beautiful as before. Everybody was in deep thoughts and hurting deep inside. Martin was a focused student in school, so studying helped him clear his mind. He was determined to learn more about cancer. He wanted to know what causes it and how it could be fought or treated. With time everything got easier and almost normal as they had become used to the situation. The death of his mother though had led for him being transferred from the good high school he had joined to an average one that was near home to stay closer to his younger sister. Death seemed to be following him. One day while they were at school, his father passed away from a malaria sickness he had been diagnosed with a day earlier. Martins and his sister couldn't understand what was happening to them. This time no one was expecting it. Older people did not usually die from malaria in the region. His father didn't seem that bad when they last left him. They even bid him goodbye. Life had taken another direction; they both needed mental support and guidance to pass through the depression that was being caused by overthinking.

And his sister had to relocate to stay with a relative who had been accustomed to their custody. Life was different, it was getting difficult to get through each day. He always wondered why all that was happening so quick and only to his family. His concentration was getting low, and he had to get under medication. His sister was going through the same, but she got into groups that were bad according to society. It was understandable but not the best idea. She was trying to have fun to try to clear her mind from the dark thoughts. She got pregnant on her escaped and delivered a baby girl. She is in junior school now. Martin graduated from the university, the same one his sister was attending to, and the worst happened that year.

On 2nd April 2015, shooters stormed the Garissa University which is in Garissa town in the North-Eastern sides of Kenya. One hundred and forty-eight students were killed, and many were injured. It was a terror attack by the al-Shabaab. Martins sister was among those that were killed. He now wondered what the meaning of life was. Why he so focused, and everything was seemed to go against him. He had lost all his first family. Life was so unfair. He was feeling like committing suicide and join them in death. He couldn't think straight. He couldn't understand God anymore. He felt like he was brought in the world to suffer. He had grown up believing and looking upon God, but all this seemed unfair to him. Being a church person, his church reverend was able to keep in touch, support, and guide him through everything and assure him that all was okay; it was God's plan.

He trusted and followed the teachings and was able to move on though not wholly. He misses his family a lot though he doesn't question God no more. He has decided to do good before his time is up. He chose to work as a doctor in the non-governmental organization to help people that are undergoing under traumatic situations like himself and also to be able to stay with people like him. Large numbers of people he attends to are orphans, and so they treat each other as family. Life is different in different people. Some have had a beautifully peaceful experience, but others are passing through struggle. Martin cries some times when alone, but he has decided that life has to go on. He always acts as a role model to the younger people passing through the same situation in their camps to show them that there is life ahead, and every one of them has a mission that God sent them to do. There is a reason that they are alive, and some close people that they think didn't deserve to die aren't. He has set up a positive mind and is now working towards getting married to his fiance and start up a new family of his own. He misses family time, and he is looking forward to that. He lives by the quote that 'God is the giver and taker of life". Every one should find a purpose, and no one should ever take his or her life. Seek help whenever you feel challenged.