There are businesses that sell products. And then there are businesses that ask a bigger question: what does what we do actually stand for?
At Happythreads, we’ve always tried to sit closer to the second.
Recently, we contributed €50,000 to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)’s medical emergency fund, supporting their work in crisis zones around the world.
As part of this partnership, we had the opportunity to host two MSF representatives at our office to share their experiences working on the frontlines of global healthcare crises.
What we heard wasn’t a presentation.
It wasn’t a polished report. It was reality.
When Healthcare Systems Collapse
What medical teams experience in conflict zones is rarely something that can be fully understood from an office setting.
We were joined by Ruth Habenberger and Jacob Burns from MSF.
Ruth works closely on operational and programme support, helping coordinate medical responses in complex environments. Jacob, a field coordinator, was deployed in Gaza in 2023, where he was responsible for overseeing on-the-ground operations in an active conflict zone.
He spoke about working in conditions where healthcare systems are no longer functioning as expected. Hospitals are overwhelmed, partially destroyed, or forced to operate far beyond their limits. Supply chains are disrupted. Access to clean water, sanitation, and even basic treatment becomes uncertain.
In these environments, healthcare is no longer structured. It becomes reactive. Teams are forced to adapt constantly, making decisions with limited information, limited resources, and often under extreme pressure.
The Reality Behind the Role
One of the most striking parts of the session was how unpredictable and unstable daily operations become in these settings. Jacob described how plans made in the morning can become irrelevant within hours. Access routes change, security risks shift, and entire facilities can become unusable overnight.
In some cases, teams are forced to build from nothing. He shared how they had to set up an entire hospital within a matter of days in an area with no existing infrastructure or support from local authorities. The space itself was not equipped for medical use, which meant everything had to be organised from the ground up, from electricity and water access to sanitation systems and medical equipment, all under significant time pressure.
What stood out was not just the scale of these challenges, but the normalisation of them. Situations that would be considered extreme elsewhere become part of the daily routine. Medical teams are constantly required to adapt, reassess, and continue working despite the lack of basic infrastructure. There is no fixed environment and no predictable system. Everything depends on the situation in real time.
Ruth also spoke about the coordination required behind the scenes. Ensuring that medical teams have the resources they need is a constant challenge, particularly when logistics, communication, and supply chains are under pressure. She explained that MSF operates independently, without direct government influence, allowing teams to move quickly and make decisions based purely on medical urgency rather than administrative or political delays.
And yet, despite all of this, teams continue to operate, treating patients and maintaining a level of care in circumstances that are far from stable.
Where Contribution Meets Perspective
This visit gave us a clearer understanding of what support like this actually enables.
Beyond funding, it provides resources, access, and the ability for teams to continue operating in environments where healthcare systems are under extreme strain.
Hearing these experiences firsthand shifts perspective. It moves the conversation away from assumptions and towards a better understanding of what working in these conditions really involves.
A Shift in Perspective
Not every organisation operates on the frontlines of a crisis. But the impact of these situations extends far beyond those directly involved.
What stood out from the session was not just the scale of the challenges, but the importance of having organisations able to respond quickly, independently, and effectively when systems are under pressure.
It’s a reminder that healthcare, in any context, depends on people, coordination, and the ability to act when it matters most.
Hearing these experiences firsthand brings a clearer understanding of the realities behind global healthcare work, and the role organisations like MSF continue to play in supporting communities in the most difficult conditions.
What medical teams experience in conflict zones is difficult to fully grasp from a distance. But hearing it directly changes how you see it.
It builds respect for the people doing this work. And it reinforces why organisations like MSF continue to play such a critical role globally.
We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to host Ruth and Jacob, and to gain a deeper understanding of the realities behind their work.