As a child growing up in Togo, West Africa, Monzolesso “Joel” Bagah-Kognagba remembers missionaries coming to his country to help with vaccinations and assisting his community.

This experience, combined with the fact that his father had lost his sight before Bagah-Kognagba was born, factored into his decision to become the first in his family to study medicine. “After going into medicine one day I could bring his sight back,” he hoped.