"The excruciating pain, and emotionally taxing journeys along with the devastation caused by the water contamination in Horowpathana was tied to my memory from a long time. I was able to do only little from my capacity and financial constraints. But as an aspirant young woman who does not believe in giving up what I had started I wanted to ensure that the stories I heard in Anurahdapura were giving a pulse of hope. A pulse that would try to keep their hearts beating and their livelihoods going for longer than they anticipate," said MEI's chairperson Zainab Ifthikar at her commencement speech during the launch of her second book "Panacea is Possible".
Panacea Is Possible talks about the desperation of renal failure, and the emotions born by the families that lie behind this very systemic disease. The now 2nd year medical student tried to showcase the feelings of the people behind the scenes and the numbers that obscure them. Talking only sporadically on statistics and focusing on the art of storytelling, Zainab planted a seed in the hearts of the attendees.
The book was successfully launched at Alfaisal University by the Vice Dean of administration, Dr. Akef Obeidat. The closely knit Alfaisal community was extremely welcoming of this new endeavor and the book got more people talking about a problem in a hidden away village, somewhere far away, on a small island called Sri Lanka. That was the aim- to bring their stories across thousands of miles so that more people acknowledged what was happening in the middle of a never heard of place on this planet. Acknowledgment is the first step to action. Finally there were heads turning and voices being heard. The efforts through MEI is a small momentum that is intended towards causing the bigger wheels to start turning.
The slogan throughout the book, panacea is possible, was aimed at the ideology of how any ailment has a cure maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday and in order to find it we must strive.
Head over to our Books page and get your copy today. All revenue from the sale of the books are directed towards the MEI Foundation funds for supporting communities across Sri Lanka.