Delivering Joy
I met Gecho in June of 2025 during my first visit to Ethiopia.
Gecho runs a transportation service using an old blue van. Whenever we needed to get somewhere around Addis Ababa, Gecho was ready to go. He was a man of few words, but you could immediately sense his kind heart.
When I returned to Ethiopia earlier this year, I was pleasantly surprised to see Gecho—and that same old blue van—waiting for us.
Each day, we piled into the van and headed out for our next adventure. I watched Gecho navigate some of the craziest traffic I have ever seen.
Cars coming from every direction. Tight spaces that didn't seem possible. Drivers who appeared to have forgotten anyone else was sharing the road.
Yet Gecho never seemed rattled.
Some days we traveled through the chaos of the city. Other days, we shared rural roads with cattle, sheep, and people.
As the week went on, I got to know Gecho better. I got to hear some of his story. What I noticed most wasn't simply that Gecho got us safely to our destination.
Gecho delivered joy.
When that old blue van pulled into a community, we were often greeted by smiling children and excited friends. And somehow, Gecho's calm presence and warm smile became part of the experience.
It reminded me that our work is about more than completing a transaction. Every one of us delivers something.
A CFO can deliver confidence. An accountant can deliver clarity. A leader can deliver hope. A teammate can deliver encouragement.
Or we can simply do our job and move on.
Gecho reminded me that there is another option. No matter what we do, we all can deliver joy.
Rusty Fulling