Reported By: Bill Liss
Web Editor: Michael King
Last Modified: 2/11/2007 7:14:08 PM
Courage, determination and dedication. Those words describe Ethiopian native and Atlanta resident Sebri Omar.
Omar made a life-changing commitment, and together with 11Alive’s Bill Liss, they Made Things Happen to save countless lives in Omar’s native Ethiopian city.
For Harar, Ethiopia, a city of a half-million people, the first ambulance ever, came from Atlanta. It was inspired by Atlanta resident Sebri Oman, who was forced to flee his native Ethiopia at the age of 17 to escape a military coup and possible death.
Omar walked across the desert -- alone -- for seven weeks.
“My parents didn’t want me to get killed,” said Omar. “Once you start walking, there is no stop.”
After three years in a refugee camp, Omar made his way to Atlanta.
Then, after 22 years, he returned to visit his native city of Harar. He saw deplorable conditions in a local hospital and made a life-changing decision: to build a new hospital for his Ethiopian city.
Omar did just that. He sold a gas station he owned and took a loan from an Ethiopian bank. His 45 bed medical clinic, named Yamaage for hope, is now open and fully operational.
But for Omar, the journey was not over.
“One of the things we desperately need is an ambulance, because there is absolutely no ambulance in the city of Harar,” Omar said.
Make Things Happen worked four months to find one -- and succeeded.
It came from Metro Ambulance Service of Atlanta.
Then came an equally big challenge: getting the ambulance from Atlanta to Harar. Domestic air carrier AirTran Airways funded initial preparations. Make Things Happen then turned to Peachtree City-based World Airways. Without hesitation, World Airways said yes.
“This is a great story for us because we are part of Atlanta,” said World Airways’ Steve Forsyth.
For Sebri Omar, and a half-million people in Harar, their first ambulance was then flown from Atlanta to Brussels on World Airways, then on Ethiopian Airlines from there to Addis Ababa.
Under huge floodlights, at Hartsfield-Jackson, the ambulance was carefully loaded onto a World Airways giant cargo jet for its free one-way trip to Africa.
“Trust me, I’ll make sure it gets there without a scratch,” said Deanthony Jackson of World Airways.
The ambulance triumphantly arrived in Harar and was paraded from street to street.
On arrival at the medical center, there was a historic celebration. And without delay, the ambulance was pressed into service.
For Sebri Omar, and for the half-million people of Harar, Ethiopia, a new era in medical care is now underway.
Omar said the hospital and the ambulance are just the beginning. He said he now plans to raise money and build Ethiopia’s first Hospice -- also in Harar.
Omar made a life-changing commitment, and together with 11Alive’s Bill Liss, they Made Things Happen to save countless lives in Omar’s native Ethiopian city.
For Harar, Ethiopia, a city of a half-million people, the first ambulance ever, came from Atlanta. It was inspired by Atlanta resident Sebri Oman, who was forced to flee his native Ethiopia at the age of 17 to escape a military coup and possible death.
Omar walked across the desert -- alone -- for seven weeks.
“My parents didn’t want me to get killed,” said Omar. “Once you start walking, there is no stop.”
After three years in a refugee camp, Omar made his way to Atlanta.
Then, after 22 years, he returned to visit his native city of Harar. He saw deplorable conditions in a local hospital and made a life-changing decision: to build a new hospital for his Ethiopian city.
Omar did just that. He sold a gas station he owned and took a loan from an Ethiopian bank. His 45 bed medical clinic, named Yamaage for hope, is now open and fully operational.
But for Omar, the journey was not over.
“One of the things we desperately need is an ambulance, because there is absolutely no ambulance in the city of Harar,” Omar said.
Make Things Happen worked four months to find one -- and succeeded.
It came from Metro Ambulance Service of Atlanta.
Then came an equally big challenge: getting the ambulance from Atlanta to Harar. Domestic air carrier AirTran Airways funded initial preparations. Make Things Happen then turned to Peachtree City-based World Airways. Without hesitation, World Airways said yes.
“This is a great story for us because we are part of Atlanta,” said World Airways’ Steve Forsyth.
For Sebri Omar, and a half-million people in Harar, their first ambulance was then flown from Atlanta to Brussels on World Airways, then on Ethiopian Airlines from there to Addis Ababa.
Under huge floodlights, at Hartsfield-Jackson, the ambulance was carefully loaded onto a World Airways giant cargo jet for its free one-way trip to Africa.
“Trust me, I’ll make sure it gets there without a scratch,” said Deanthony Jackson of World Airways.
The ambulance triumphantly arrived in Harar and was paraded from street to street.
On arrival at the medical center, there was a historic celebration. And without delay, the ambulance was pressed into service.
For Sebri Omar, and for the half-million people of Harar, Ethiopia, a new era in medical care is now underway.
Omar said the hospital and the ambulance are just the beginning. He said he now plans to raise money and build Ethiopia’s first Hospice -- also in Harar.
