IWitness Ambassador stories

When a heart is in the right place people will follow. I know Ingvar Kamprad had his heart in the right place when he created the IKEA Foundation with a vision to help those in need. I saw this firsthand on my IWitness trip to Eswatini, Africa. What I witnessed were families that were kept together, and people’s lives saved through the IKEA Foundation partnership with Médecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) for the treatment of HIV and Tuberculosis. 

On our trip we visited a family participating in one of MSF’s programs. When we arrived at their home one of the children approached me. His name was Ayo. He said, “It’s only because of your love and giving that father is here with us and still alive.” Ayo’s father, Dubaku, has tuberculosis and is extremely weak and cannot walk. Twice a week a doctor, Eshe, travels to see Dubaku, two hours each way. This visit allows Dubaku to stay with the family instead of living in a hospital. “Our doctor, Eshe, has become family to us and we love him very much,” says Dubaku.

Everyone on the MSF team cared so much and always went above and beyond for their patients. This is just one example of what amazing work is being done around the world because a heart is in the right place and people decided to follow. 

What does it mean to work for a purpose-led organization? For me, it means, knowing that my day-to-day work contributes to something bigger than the task; that every action taken helps to create a better everyday life for the many people.

This is why the IKEA Foundation a true pride point for IKEA. The Foundation is the engine that enables our purpose of transforming the world through business.

In November 2019 I had the opportunity to participate in the IKEA Foundation IWitness programme to see first-hand the work supported through their partnership with Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans frontières – MSF). 

Myself, along with four other coworkers from IKEA Canada were privileged to witness the incredible work MSF has done to provide treatment the one-third of the population of Eswatini, Africa who are diagnosed with HIV, TB, or both.

MSF has addressed the HIV and TB epidemic in the country with a deeply comprehensive approach. From developing national infrastructure utilizing the most advanced technology, to integrating themselves into communities with small testing and treatment clinics, and ensuring one-one-one visits with patients living in remote areas.  Since the beginning of the project in 2007, MSF has shifted the life-expectancy of Eswatini from 35 to 55; an incredible feat in such a short time.

In return for our visit, the only thing the MSF staff asked is that we tell their story. Tell the world about the patients, the people of Eswatini, and the work MSF is doing to improve lives, change stigmas, and accelerate the access of inclusive medical care in poor countries.

As part of my promise to them, I will share a story of a special patient below. Her name is Gcwalisile.

Picture yourself at 26, living in a remote village, not able to attend work or school, see your friends, or kiss your babies and partners. Now imagine that over several years on top of feeling sick and weak, and having to take dozens of pills a day; most days on an empty stomach. What state of mind do you think you would be in? What type of person does it take to maintain a hopeful attitude in the face of these challenges?

On day 1 in the field with MSF we met a young girl, 26 years old, who is facing just that. Her name is Gcwalisile.

Gcwalisile has been HIV positive since 2016 and managing the virus. Until 2 months ago she was studying at University to become a Chartered Accountant. She noticed she was losing weight and came home to have tests done for fear of either having cancer or TB. She tested positive for Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR), a particularly complicated diagnosis that coupled with easy transmission of TB, adds a level of complexity to treatment. TB can be transmitted via the air. Although it is killed off quite quickly in the sunlight and breeze, the risk is still there. 

Gcwalisile has been back home for a month now, receiving treatment, while caring for her 7 younger brothers and sisters, whom she can’t hold close, kiss, or hug, for fear of transmission. Her communication with friends is only through social media and she even has her own separate living quarters from her family.

We asked how she felt about the diagnosis and her responses was one of empowerment and hope. After all her challenges, she says she is proud of herself for taking her health into her own hands and she is hopeful for the day she recovers and is healthy enough to have a baby of her own.

Her hopeful attitude was inspiring. She spoke to how grateful she was for the MSF nurses (like Helen, in the photo above), referring to them as “her life”. The dedication nurses at MSF show is an example of true selflessness; creating deep supportive bonds with patients, travelling hours every day to remote communities to ensure treatments are taken, and empathizing with patients and the barriers they face in their living situations, while searching for solutions to make treatments more accessible.

This was just one story of my experience; but one that fills me with gratitude; knowing that the job I do every day is contributing to positive life-changing action all over the globe. This is purpose.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

After becoming a mom, the importance of ensuring I am creating a better world for the future has become more of a priority. One of the things I love about working for IKEA, is knowing that our mission is to “Create a Better Everyday Life for the Many.” It makes me proud to know that everything I do, and every decision I make is somehow connected back to making a better everyday life.

In November of 2019, I travelled to Eswatini Africa to witness the work of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) supported through the IKEA Foundation. Eswatini has the highest incidence of HIV in the world. Tuberculosis is also at crisis levels. MSF is providing HIV and TB treatment, health education, and infrastructure for the community.

The people working for MSF are incredible individuals. Nombulelo provides health education to teach the community about HIV self-testing, HIV risks and prevention. Although these types of discussion were considered taboo in the past, through the work of MSF, communities are now able to protect themselves and make good choices. 

The project has also set up community health clinics in urban centers that are easy to access and where people are already going - like shopping areas. Many patients must walk 2-3 hours each way to receive medical help, so these community clinics make health care much more accessible for most of the population.

At the end of our trip we asked the MSF staff and local hosts how we can help. The only ask was to share their stories and share our experience in Eswatini. I am committed to share my experience and what I have seen. And I am committed to change the world with my actions.  

Everything we do at IKEA starts and ends in our vision to ‘create a better everyday life for the many people.’  As a co-worker is it important that the work I perform not only contributes to the company’s vision, but is tied to my core values, beliefs and sense of purpose. It is important that I have a clear connection between what I value and what I spend my time doing. As an IKEA co-worker I know that the work I do each day contributes to the work the IKEA Foundation. 

In November 2019, I joined four other co-workers from across Canada to travel to the Kingdom of Eswatini in Africa to visit Medicines Sans Frontier (MSF) programs funded by IKEA Foundation. These programs support the nation’s tuberculosis (TB) and HIV epidemic which has affected one-third of the adult population. The main objective of MSF’s program is to bring HIV and TB treatment services closer to the people, ensuring ease of access for diagnosis and treatment. They do this by offering on site HIV testing, at home self-testing kits, home visits in remote communities, and specialized patient care.  

MSF aims to be in sync with the community and have strong engagement, so they employ 70% of its staff from the local population. Community-based models and patient centered approaches are making medical care more accessible and changing the stigma around the conversation about the disease. These wide-ranging efforts of MSF has decreased the number of new infections and deaths from HIV and TB in Eswatini.

We joined Majuba, an MSF Nurse, on a home visit about two hours away from the nearest city in the rolling hills of the country. His patient, Lymon, is a 71-year-old man living with multi-drug resistant TB. Majuba makes the four-hour roundtrip journey twice a week to deliver medication and check on Lymon’s health and wellbeing. While visiting with Lymon he talked about his life before and after his diagnosis.  He once prided himself on going to work in the mines and supporting his wife and two young children. The pain he feels most from the disease is emotional – the inability to support his family and his community.

When we asked what Lymon would want us to share to our fellow co-workers about our visit he said “Send love. Please share my story. The more that is shared the more spotlight is being brought onto the community”.  He wanted to highlight his community, he wanted to give love. He was thankful that we were there to listen and share. 

One of the key learnings that I took away from the IWitness trip was to take the time to listen, share impactful stories and get involved in the community.  I am proud to be part of the IKEA global community and to be given the opportunity to live the values that we stand for.