Sandra Ngenge Dusabe

“I was making my way back to my apartment just to go take a break in the middle of the workday, it was a very, very hot day, mid July or June, I want to say.

And as I was walking, I decided to take a different route home. And while I was walking, I saw someone on the ground, like stomach down. And at first, I just assumed that they were just laying down, but the more I looked at it, it looked strange because they didn’t have anything protecting them from the ground. And as I kept walking closer, I noticed that their back wasn’t moving. It was just completely still. 

And so when I approached this person on the ground, I was trying to see any signs of life and it was looking dim and I was really starting to get worried.

And so I tried to tap near like the person’s head to kind of say, Hey, are you awake? I didn’t get a response and then after a minute or two of doing that, I started to consider calling the authorities for help.

And after a few minutes, paramedics arrived and they were able to resuscitate him because he had overdosed on opioids.

And one thing that I think that really stuck with me is that because the downtown core, because Ottawa is becoming such a bigger city now and people are moving back and forth and around, I think being vigilant and being more aware of the help that our neighbors need is so key.

And I just kept thinking about if I had gone my normal route, I would have never passed by this person and it’s my hope that someone else would have still helped him.

But within that experience, I was reminded that you still have to be aware of people who we share the city with because our neighbours are part of the reason why we get to enjoy so much of the things that the city can offer.

And I think specifically like we are in the nation’s capital and I think having that like, you know, connection with our fellow Canadians is so serious.

But at the same time, like I would say the bright side of the story is that even though I called and even though there was someone there, everyone within the situation was so calm and so ready to respond. And I was kind of shaken up at the end, I called my mom and was very like taken aback by the whole situation. But now I know for a fact that if anything like this happens again, people are ready to help and people are ready to respond.

I would definitely say that the reason why I am invested, I guess, in neighborhood watching, but just being more aware of my surroundings is that I am a very aloof kind of person sometimes. I can be very in my brain about things, and as much as that can be helpful in certain situations, it’s not the best of times, and the spirit of self-improvement and all that.

And also, because there is this sentiment that some folks might have about living in the city that because it might be difficult, they might as well just jump ship and go make roots elsewhere, I personally find that to be even more work.

So why not just find a way to improve where I’m at right now?”