From: Bereket Kidane (welela83@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Oct 05 2009 - 21:58:04 EDT
So many Eritreans at home and abroad are shocked by the sudden death of Minister Saleh Meki just as they were by the sudden death of Abraham Afewerki or Minister Ali Said Abdella. The outpouring of grief and sympathy is a direct result of the tremendous sense of loss Eritreans feel for their country and its people.
Eritrea has many unheralded heros. Men like Saleh Meki did not face the most danger or may be even do the most. But they served their beloved country and did not expect anything in return. They worked, and worked, and worked in whatever capacity required of them. They wore many different hats depending on where the need arose. Their lives were the life of service. Service to their people. Service to their comaptriots.
Despite their various talents and their years spent in the West, many of them will die penniless. No 401Ks to speak of or any assets to bequeath their children because they chose the life of service and hardship. And hardship they endure. That is part of the reason many of them die suddenly and unexpectedly. Years of privation (both in the field and after) take its toll on their lives.
When it's time to put them in the ground, however, I suspect men like Saleh Meki can look back on their lives and say it was a life worth living. Because of men like Saleh Meki's tireless efforts, many villagers in the remote parts of Eritrea now have access to health care and are living a little better and suffering a little less. They dedicated their lives to the idea of a future Eritrea that is proud, self-sufficient and free of wants. In Saleh Meki's case, his greatest contributions were in the health care field.
Rest in Peace Saleh Meki. We will miss you.