Inspirational Adélia: The Story of A Humanitarian Determined to Make a Difference
Published: Aug 18, 2023 Reading time: 3 minutes
Today, as adversities and challenges multiply, certain people stand out for their courage, compassion, and commitment to society's well-being. In Angola, our colleague Adélia Lussati Nangombe Gervásio is an inspiring example of a woman who has embraced the humanitarian cause with passion and dedication. At 33 years old, a mother of two, Adélia chose to leave behind a career in commerce and bookselling to support her community. Her account, recorded in a moving interview, highlights her motivation, challenges, and the positive impact she seeks to generate through her actions.
Adélia presents herself as a passionate humanitarian. Over the past seven years, she has tirelessly dedicated herself to improving the quality of life in her community. The trigger for her transition to the humanitarian field was a personal experience that awakened her to the suffering of others. Her empathy and genuine desire to help transform lives led her to embrace a career with the primary goal of alleviating human suffering.
Determined to make a difference, Adélia saw our organisation, People In Need, as a place where she could make meaningful contributions. She saw us as a unique opportunity to get closer to people and directly impact their lives. Because of our activities, Adélia can work directly with the community, where she mainly focuses on nutrition.
Within PIN, Adélia focuses on raising nutrition awareness and its implications, especially among children from six months to five years. She conducts talks with pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, emphasising the importance of preventing child malnutrition. In addition, she leads community kitchen initiatives, teaching mothers how to prepare nutritious food for their families. Her approach includes educating mothers about the four essential food groups.
However, Adélia's path is not without challenges. She faces community resistance to accepting and adopting the practices she promotes. Some families learn but do not practice what they have learned. Adélia overcomes this obstacle with determination, conducting home visits to ensure that families understand and adopt her methods.
Adélia's story is influenced by the context of her country, which went through periods of conflict. She shares how the war impacted her upbringing, growth, and family. The war created traumas that affected her ability to learn and grow and directly impacted her family.
Love, focus, and determination drive Adelia on her humanitarian journey. She finds strength in the fact that her actions bring happiness and fundamental change to those who need it most. Her resilience and passion keep her steadfast in her mission, protecting her from the distractions and obstacles that may arise.
Adélia is an inspiring example of how an individual can positively impact the lives of others through compassionate and dedicated action. Her story reminds us of the importance of helping one another, especially in times of hardship. Her appeal to society is a call to collective responsibility to reach out to those in need, regardless of race or colour. Her words remind us that we all have the potential to make a difference, whether through moral, spiritual, psychological or practical support. Adélia's message is clear: helping others is an action that enriches us all and creates a more empathetic and caring world.
