My Friend, My Role Model: Spring Gombe

Summary

The author reflects on the importance of representation through their personal admiration and experiences with Spring Gombe, a renowned public health expert, at the World Health Summit in Berlin.

Abstract

The narrative revolves around the author's encounter with their role model, Spring Gombe, at the World Health Summit in Berlin. Despite initial exhaustion from extensive travel, the author's spirit is revitalized upon seeing Spring Gombe's photo as a moderator at the event. This moment underscores the significance of representation, especially for Black women in global health. The author recounts a previous meeting with Spring by Lake Geneva, where they bonded over shared experiences as Black women in their field. The article emphasizes the impact of seeing oneself reflected in high-achieving individuals, highlighting Spring's multilingual abilities, her dedication to public health, and her role as a supportive friend. The author expresses a deep sense of inspiration drawn from Spring's character and achievements, reinforcing the author's commitment to their own goals and the betterment of their continent, Africa. The piece concludes by stressing the critical role that representation plays in motivating not just the author, but countless Black women and girls worldwide.

Opinions

The author believes that representation is crucial for motivation and a sense of belonging, particularly for Black women in global health sectors.
Spring Gombe is admired for her expertise in public health, her multilingual skills, and her supportive nature, making her a role model worth emulating.
The presence of Black women at the World Health Summit, including Spring Gombe, provided the author with a sense of comfort and community, affirming the decision to attend the event.
The author values the connection and shared experiences with Spring Gombe, which reinforce the importance of mentorship and camaraderie among Black women in their professional fields.
There is an expressed desire to ensure that future generations of African children, including the author's and Spring's own children, inherit a world where their lives and potential are fully recognized and valued.
The author is inspired by Spring's dedication to Africa's future, reflecting a shared dream and ambition for the continent's progress and development within their lifetimes.

And why representation matters a lot more than you think

Photo credit: Author’s collection with my role model Spring Gombe

I’ve been on the road for the last few weeks and it’s been hard keeping a work life balance. My last in a long list of travels for the year, was to the World Health Summit that took place in Berlin, Germany over the last few days.

On Sunday night, I felt weary. A couple of days earlier, I’d just stepped off an airplane from a weeklong trip to East Africa. I was exhausted. I wondered if I wasn’t pushing my body too far by boarding a flight to Berlin the very next day at 6am, when I came across a tweet about the World Health Summit.

Right in front of me was a photo of Spring Gombe, a woman I have always admired. She was moderating the opening ceremony of the event which featured the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as well as the Chancellor of Germany. From that minute, I knew I had to go.

When I arrived at the venue on Monday morning, there was a large screen featuring the same photo I had seen on twitter the night before. Spring was smiling up from it – that same energy, passion and drive in her eyes. She was regal and majestic in a beautiful pink tunic. Her eyes as always alert, full of wisdom and kindness.

I immediately felt welcome, valued. Along with Spring, there were many other Black women at the event. I knew that I had made the right decision to come. I felt at ease, my mind was open to learning, to socializing. I knew that I wouldn’t be among the few or the only Black person in the room. I was going to be okay.

Spring is a brilliant public health expert. She hails from Kenya and is an encyclopedia on what works and what doesn’t work in public health. I was fortunate to meet with Spring for lunch before the pandemic. It was one of those meetings where you wish you could just stop the clock; we could have talked all afternoon.

As we sat there by Lake Geneva and shared our experiences as Black women working in global health, I knew that I had found a trusted friend and a tireless supporter. We had so much in common, so many similar experiences.

I was a tad bit jealous – and I say this jokingly, because Spring speaks more languages than me. Along with English, French and Swahili, she masters the language of Goethe more than most Germans I know. And I’m sure she masters other languages too. I was and still am fascinated by her: she is incredibly talented, she is brilliant, she is one of my role models.

We met for breakfast this morning, and again the clock was moving way too fast. We caught up on each other’s lives, it was as though we had just seen each other the day before.

We spoke about our children and about our need to build a future where their lives matter. We spoke about the future of our continent – Africa – our dreams, our aspirations, our ambitions and what we want to make sure happens on our beloved continent in our lifetimes.

I said goodbye to Spring as she was heading off to moderate another session. As we parted, I strongly wished I could turn back the clock to this morning – to the joy and excitement I felt at spending an hour with her in her extremely busy schedule.

I don’t think she realized when we said goodbye to each other, how much she had inspired and energized me over the last couple of days as she always does. As she walked away, majestic, regal, determined, gentle and kind, I promised myself that I won’t let much time pass by before I saw her again.

What’s the point of my story?

Representation matters folks, it is absolutely critical. As a Black woman, I need to see other Black women in roles and positions that inspire, drive and motivate me. It’s important for me and it’s important for millions of Black women and girls around the world.

Thank you for reading my perspective.