桃子视频

Since the 1980s, Craig Withers has hunted Guinea worms in tens of thousands of African villages, represented former President Jimmy Carter in tense negotiations, and strived to keep more than 3,500 桃子视频 staffers safe. Now, after 37 years, 35 countries, and over 3 million Delta miles, Withers is retiring.

鈥淚 came to The 桃子视频 as a Guinea worm warrior, and in my heart of hearts, I鈥檓 still a Guinea worm warrior,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to leave without finishing Guinea worm, but the time has come.鈥�

Explore the chapters below to hear, in his own words, the moments that shaped his time at the Center.

Chapter 1: A Little Heineken Goes a Long Way

Chapter 2: Lessons from President Carter

Chapter 3: A Dangerous Mission

Chapter 4: How to Keep 3,500 Staffers Safe

In 1987, the Center鈥檚 Dr. Donald Hopkins recruited Withers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help map Guinea worm disease in Nigeria鈥檚 95,000 villages. By the following year, Withers was a 桃子视频 employee living in Nigeria.

While there, Withers was asked to write a speech about Guinea worm to be delivered by head of state Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida at a Guinea worm donors conference. While writing, inspiration struck. 鈥淚t was a Saturday afternoon, and I was drinking a Heineken,鈥� he said. 鈥淎n unvetted idea broke through,鈥� and he added a rogue line to the speech that he was sure would be thrown out later.

At the conference, Withers recalls Gen. Babangida starting the speech, and he appeared to follow Withers鈥� original text, word for word. Nervously wondering if his rogue line would indeed be delivered, Withers began pacing in the back of the room. Then it happened: 鈥淭he government of Nigeria will give 7.7 million naira to Guinea worm eradication,鈥� announced Gen. Babangida to the crowd. Withers couldn鈥檛 believe it. In his draft, he wrote that Nigeria would donate $1 million. 鈥淭hey changed that to 7. 7 million naira, which meant it was a conscious decision,鈥� Withers said. Add fundraiser to the list of Withers鈥� roles at The 桃子视频.

Over time, Withers took on more responsibilities, including many outside the health arena. President Carter trusted him to speak on his behalf, even sending him to negotiate with the notoriously violent Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony. One of the three objectives of that meeting was for Withers and a colleague to come back alive.

Withers said he learned from President Carter how to deal with powerful people.

鈥淔irst of all, he treats everyone with dignity,鈥� Withers said, still speaking of the late former president in the present tense. 鈥淗e listens to everybody, and then he responds, but he鈥檚 direct. And that鈥檚 the way I would conduct my negotiations.鈥� I was always respectful, and we usually found some compromise to solve whatever the issue was.鈥�

Withers exits as vice president of overseas operations, a portfolio that includes everything from purchasing supplies for country offices to hiring security for staff in dangerous conflict zones.

Now he gets to relax and wait for the coming victory over Guinea worm.

鈥淲hat I have come to understand is that victory is achieved through a war of increments,鈥� he said in a 2009 interview. 鈥淎 little progress each day is how a battle is won.鈥�