I am Ezekiel Mavolo from Liberia, West Africa. From childhood up to the present, I have always dreamed of becoming a medical doctor to help my community, county, country, and the entire world at large. Too many people are suffering and dying of preventable diseases in my country.

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I am strongly motivated by my traditional cultural background: I was born to be an herbalist after my grandfather. He had started teaching me the fundamentals while I was a child when the civil war broke out in my country. I was forced to become a child soldier. Though this was an obstacle that delayed my educational journey, I am determined to achieve my dream of becoming a medical doctor, able to use both traditional and Western training. I have worked hard to heal my own trauma, complete my education and help others heal through community peacebuilding and reconciliation.

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When I complete my medical training, I intend to integrate Western knowledge into traditional medicine to make natural and Western medicine readily available in Liberia and to expand our knowledge of the many unique medicines available in nature.