Over the past eight weeks I’ve been pushed by a lot of different things. One of which has been learning to make the best of the situation that I’m in.

Because of what I’m doing and where I’m travelling, I’ve stayed in places I typically wouldn’t stay in and eaten at places I typically wouldn’t eat at.

Personally, these times are difficult. One reason for this is that I’m out of my comfort zone. The other is that I feel a very real sense of guilt about my discomfort.

I’ve been spending about nine hours a day with people that spend their entire lives focusing on making the best of what they have. The fact that I’ve sometimes struggled over a meal I don’t consider adequate or a couple of days in not-so-great accommodation is pretty insignificant in comparison.

Outside of Jakarta in Indonesia I met a lot of families that are overcoming obstacles to make the best of their situations. One of these was a lady called Guminem.

Her daughter, Skikamari, suffers from a condition where the left side of her body is slow to respond to her brain’s commands. Because of this, she is deemed as unemployable by many in her village.

Four years ago Guminem was stuck thinking about what she could do. She used a small loan of Rp.1 million (A$101) to start a business making doormats out of coconut husks. She uses this business to not only support her family, but to also employ Skikamari so that she can earn an income, too.

For people with physical challenges in the communities I’ve visited, opportunities are even harder to come by. Whether it is a small loan to them or a small loan to someone that can help them, it’s clear to me that the opportunity to participate in earning an income is important on so many different levels.

I asked Guminem where she thought herself and Skikamari would be if they hadn’t been able to get a loan. Politely, she told me she didn’t want to think about it.

It’s situations like these that have really shown me the purpose of what I’m doing and the importance of focusing on the bigger picture. It’s very easy to get caught up in my own struggles, but really there are far greater things happening outside me, which at the very least I should take courage and inspiration from.

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