That love breaks you in half. That the world has become so dark. That sharing a kind gesture has become nearly impossible. That they leave children tossed in a bush after taking their kidneys. That mothers amputate their children’s limbs to gain exposure. All of which I have seen myself.
As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing White Dove.
White Dove is an artist focused on creating impactful music that raises awareness about pressing social issues, such as famine, poverty, human trafficking, and war on a global scale. She has lived in six countries and speaks five languages. Through her work as a medic prior to her musical endeavors, she developed a passion for helping those in dire need. Her goal is to combat human and organ trafficking in children while serving as an advocate of victims of violence, war, famine, inequality, suicides, and more. White Dove wishes to remain anonymous, so the sole focus is on the messaging behind the music.
White Dove owns her own recording studio and has been working with the same producer, Jay Baty and pianist, Doug Mundy for years. She wants to create a program where people all over the world who suffered the abuse, reach out and specify a song they want White Dove to create for them. This can be dedicated to someone or simply a message to deliver. The song will be written and performed by White Dove and will include the name of the requester. Requests will be filtered to ensure it matches the mission.
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?
You work so hard in life, and throughout your journey, you encounter, you meet, you see. When I was born, I was told that I was visited and touched by God. As a medic, a scientist, it’s not what you truly believe in. You are carved with science and biology. Growing up, I commenced unveiling and predicting without knowing I was. My parents would brag about my presence around someone and it would bring them more luck and peace. I never believed until I started traveling overseas and meeting children. You think to yourself that when you travel to meet them, they’ll look like your typical child, but the truth is far from it. You see children dying, crying, begging for mercy; something a child should never experience. You see a child carrying his two siblings on his back because his parents were murdered by radicals. The more I saw, the more I broke. Breathing was just hard. I vowed my life to sing for them, about them, about what I have seen, and what I have experienced. I may not be a celebrity in singing, but I know that God has given me the gift of a voice, and I intend to use it for what most of the world can’t see and understand.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I can’t say I recall a funny moment when I started. I can tell you that children, despite their misery, were trying to smile and play. Despite their handicap and incapabilities, they would run in my arms to gain my love. Our mistakes are our greatest teachers, I agree. They say no one is without sins. I disagree. We are not perfect but if you have “just love” to share, then it’s all the world needs. I have never committed sins towards anyone, and I am proud of it. This does not entail that I am perfect. The word “sin” is very profound. This will have to be reversed, as many have tried to bring me down, but my response was always with love.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
Sing and pour your heart to what the world can’t see.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
My husband. For every time he got it wrong, he got it right a thousand times. The impact of this love is that with love, I was able to change my husband from being someone who was angry to someone who today believes in love and miracles. This has been my biggest victory, and there is Paul. My mother was hospitalized, and I begged the nurses to make me sleep next to her, although in ICU, it is prohibited. After seeing me traumatized, they agreed. Around 1:00 am, when the ward was in solace, I heard a voice, a deranged voice screaming. The hallway got filled pretty quickly with ICU nurses, coming from every angle. I headed to the curtains and peaked, and there was Paul. A man with mental disabilities roaming around. He had left his room from a different ward. His words were not clear, but he was screaming. Nurses were trying to calm him down. I stepped out of the room and once he looked at me, he stopped screaming, pointed at me, and said “Mama”, “Mama” pushing the nurses to reach out to me. I approached him. The nurses asked me to stay back, but it’s as if I wasn’t hearing them. The more I approached, the calmer he became.
He repeated the word “Mama, Mama, Mama”. The look on the nurse’s faces was exclaiming. I took him in my arms and hugged him for so long, as if I was hugging my own flesh. While in my arms, he was exclaiming “Mama, Mama. Mama”. They had to separate us. Paul was calmer. While walking back to his ward with the nurses, he looked back at me several times and gave me one of the most profound smiles I can never forget. I cried that night very much, thinking of Paul. I cried and I cried. I did not know why. Paul died the very next day. Nurses from his ward came to see me the next morning, handing me a piece of paper with the word MAMA and a heart with rayons of sun, that Paul drew. He had no family, no one to claim him. I buried Paul.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
The world is so dark. Darkness has invaded our hearts. My music, my dedication to children and their suffering is what I will keep on doing until my last breath. I have been saving children caught in human and organ trafficking since 1999. I do not gossip about my deeds. I was raised to never share what you do good to others. This is between myself and my creator. Although I own a non-profitable charity, I never advertised it, nor asked for money or donations. I cover my hard work into saving humanity. I believe that when God gives you wealth, you must spread it, and that’s what I am doing, silently. I don’t need photos to be taken and to be placed on the internet, I don’t need fame for doing what is right and what my heart tells me to do in this world.
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
When the grenades were thrown off from the sky, on an early morning in East Africa, I was on a mission there.
I was hit. I opened my eyes and torsos; limbs of civilians were lying next to me. I knew I was injured but the blast was so loud that I couldn’t hear anything. I looked down and my leg was blown. I remember breathing heavily as I was losing extensive blood. I couldn’t find anything around me to make a tourniquet. I removed my shirt and applied it to my leg tightly. That wasn’t enough, but it was something to get me up and look at the catastrophe. There was a child. Not more than 7 years of age. He was still alive with one of his legs missing and burnt from the upper body. I can’t recall everything clearly, but I know despite my blown leg and the hemorrhage shock I felt coming, I wanted to take the child and get away. Medics arrived on scene; Medics unequipped. I handed the child to them and lost consciousness. I awoke in a small ward attached to a bag of saline and my leg wrapped. I knew that the doctor was not equipped to reconstruct my leg. The ward was not equipped for this type of injury. Looking around me, there were about 30 children. Others were adults. It was a nightmare. Later that day, a doctor who flew in from London came and spoke with me, knowing I was a medic as well. He gave me the news of my condition. Got me transferred to a local hospital and performed surgery. Before recovery time, I was adamant to return to the village. The surgeon refused my release, but I managed to leave. Upon my return to the village, there were not 30 children anymore but 20. The tristesse I felt in my heart is not something I can explain. I stayed in the ward with the children for 25 days. I helped as much as I could. I was fatigued and exhausted and would perform IV to myself to relieve dehydration. Some children woke up, and some were still in a coma. I started singing and singing, and singing, and singing. I saw their smiles when I would enter the room, as if they were waiting to hear me, and this is when Jabari, a 5-year-old, said “Karawan”, which means Dove. This changed my whole life. I was known as Karawan. I would enter the ward and they would rejoice my name as Karawan. This was all the audience I could ask for.
As for me, I will always have a limp. I will always have a sensitivity. I can’t walk too long, I can’t stand too long, but I am grateful. The attack left my leg in the worst shape possible. Collateral damage to my muscle atrophy ranging from the calf to the knee and reaching to the pelvis. Nerve damage in my entire leg. Tendons ripped and bone density in jeopardy. My body cells aren’t receiving enough oxygen.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
I prevented a 12-year-old who was in a group of radicals, in Somalia from committing the biggest mistake of his life; murdering his family to please the head of the gang. I managed to make him escape with his family. And yes, with my singing. I sang to him while crying. He cried. We cried more and more while singing together my song “Hurts”.
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
I have never asked for help in life. I have started working since the age of 6 years old. Government channels will never become my support. I work hard to take from what I make and invest it in the children that are caught in human and organ trafficking, and children of war and famine. I would welcome the idea of a production company to invest in my cause and music.
Why do you think music in particular has the power to create social change and create a positive impact on humanity?
Music is a spirit. It is not the music that you hear today that creates change, but the soul behind that music that creates impact. When you are in so much pain and you sing, your pain attracts others who are suffering. When your lyrics are powerful and meaningful, it creates thunder and hope.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”?
That love breaks you in half. That the world has become so dark. That sharing a kind gesture has become nearly impossible. That they leave children tossed in a bush after taking their kidneys. That mothers amputate their children’s limbs to gain exposure. All of which I have seen myself.
You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I am only one person in an ocean of sharks and serpents. I have created a program for people all over the world, especially children, to come forward and share their story with me. I would then write and compose their song and dedicate it to them. It would be beneficial to partner with a production company who believes in the same cause, believes in my message, to sponsor White Dove. There is nothing in this world that can’t be solved without love and compassion.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
Eat, drink and play, be selfish. Love and hate but when you pass, make sure you’ve left a trace of your existence for others to remember.
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I have dedicated my whole life to science at some point, but if I must leave this world, I will leave it as WHITE DOVE. I have looked up to God all my life. To love. Any person whom I feel love towards, is someone I want to meet. I am spiritual this way, that I can sense genuine love or not. We are all one. No one is better than the other. No one is more famous than the other. We bleed the same color.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
Music Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How White Dove Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.