KBKaren BreitkreuzOff-the-route trips to South Africa, Belize and Europe

How Respecting Rules Unlocked Crucial Aid in Zagreb #shorts

18 Sept 2026 · 1 min

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1:11

In a brief first‑person account, a pediatric nurse recounts how she successfully delivered a box of toothbrushes and bandages to a children’s hospital in Zagreb during a humanitarian crisis. Initially planning a door‑to‑door distribution, she instead chose to engage with a well‑dressed, articulate healthcare provider, showing deference to the provider’s authority and following local protocols. By respecting the existing hierarchy and processes, she obtained official authorization to designate the receiving hospital, ultimately ensuring the supplies reached the children who needed them. The story highlights the practical lesson that adapting to and honoring local structures can be more effective than imposing one’s own agenda in aid work.

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Because I was willing to respect their structure, their hierarchy, and their processes, the supplies finally made it to some of the people who needed them. I sat across from a very well-dressed, articulate healthcare provider who was a very gracious lady. This time, instead of pushing my agenda, I adapted my behavior. I showed deference to her authority. I followed her protocols. Eventually, she looked at the box and looked at me And gave me the authorization to officially designate which local hospital would receive the toothbrush— toothbrushes and bandages I had brought over. Since I was a pediatric nurse and concerned mostly for the children affected by the war, I chose the children's hospital. It wasn't the door-to-door refugee handout I had envisioned when I packed that box, but to be honest, it turned out better. I had no idea how I was going to keep chaos in a refugee camp from erupting from a small box of— isn't that small, but a box of supplies. And because I was willing to respect their structure, their hierarchy, and their processes, the supplies finally made it to some of the people who needed them.