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From Angola to Manhattan – A Small-World Encounter
From Angola to Manhattan – A Small-World Encounter
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Will and Everest with children at the Chiulo Children’s and
Maternity Hospital in Angola.
IBEW Local 3 New York volunteers Will Bonaparte (left) and Everest Campbell (right) with ESF Italy volunteer Luciano Isoldi in Angola.
In 2019, EWWBNA fielded volunteers from IBEW Local 3 New York to a remote village near Ombadja, Angola to assist in the installation of a solar array for the Chiulo Children’s and Maternity Hospital administered by the Italian non-profit Doctors With Africa CUAMM. The project was a joint effort with Electricians Without Borders Italy, which has several projects ongoing in Africa.
In October 2022, Will Bonaparte, one of the EWWBNA volunteers sent to Angola, had a job assignment to assist with the electrical for a Billy Joel Concert at Madison Square Garden. Nearby is a small African eatery, B&D Halal, which mainly caters to cab drivers and delivery workers of African descent, and from time-to-time Will has frequented the eatery over the years for its outstanding ethnic food. So, when Will happened to have a short break, he walked over for an early dinner.
While dining, Will noticed an African gentleman staring at him, up and down. Will, a bodybuilder with an imposing figure, thought to himself “what does this guy want, don’t mess with me, I’m a New Yorker”. Eventually, Will spoke to the eatery cashier to find out who the guy was, and it turned out he was a cab driver from Africa, and the cashier spoke his language.
The cashier asked Will if he had been to Africa recently. Will explained he was in Angola not long ago, and then learned the cab driver was from Angola. Through the cashier, now serving as an interpreter, the cab driver explained that Will was helping a hospital near his village where his 3-year-old son was born, and he remembered seeing Will there while his wife was giving birth. He showed Will photos of his son, and then after sharing embraces, Will headed back to Madison Square Garden.
The remote municipality of Ombadja, which the hospital serves, has a population of about 300,000 and is over 7,000 miles away from New York City which has a population of nearly 9 million. What are the chances of this small-world encounter near Madison Square Garden?
In a conversation with EWWBNA President Don Siegel, Will spoke of the encounter and expressed his appreciation for having had the opportunity to serve and make such a difference in people’s lives, and said, “the experience changed my life forever”. He saw dormitories housing patients that previously had no light suddenly have light and was deeply touched by “the joy on their faces”. Now when Will flips a light switch, he remembers the Angola experience, and thinks to himself, “how lucky we are, how appreciative we should be”.
Also, while volunteering in Angola, Will became close friends with fellow IBEW Local 3 member Everett Campbell, who, as it turns out, of course, shares the same birthday as Will. Now what are the chances of that?