My parents, especially my mom always told me to stay in school or I would end up cleaning bathrooms and having to work my whole life in something I would not like. They always told me that education opens the door to everything. They never told me what I couldn't be, but encouraged me to be whatever it was I wanted to be. I saw my parents with their own small cleaning business and dignity, but knew that I also wanted to be something else. When I was little I always aspired to be a business woman with her phone constantly ringing, but also a mom, (one of my best friends growing up can attest to that). We would have recess and pretend we were these grown up sophisticated women with fascinating careers, even archeologists.
My list of things I want to be when I grow up hasn't stopped yet, even while I have been at college. I still aspire to be several things, and I think if I could have it my way I would go to school for all those things. As I sat in my small apartment living room watching the Half The Sky Series my eyes were opened and even more so, frustrated that women and girls in most part of the world are not getting a proper education. I knew that this was happening, but I didn't know how badly the effects of an uneducated girl does to a society as a whole.
I was also humbled as these women and girls yearned to attend school and there are days I wake up loathing to go to class, regardless of how grateful I am for being able to attend them. After watching the series consisting of two episodes, I went and picked up the book at the library on campus. Reading Half The Sky was a lot better than watching it. Although it is not for the faint of heart, it is so raw and truthful that you can't go away from it without feeling educated and inspired.
A quote from the book that has stayed with me since I read it, is from Sakena Yacoobi, an Afghan Woman who started the Afghanistan Institute of Learning. This was the first of its kind to bring health services and education to women in Afghanistan. Her story is empowering and tender all wrapped in one. She is an educated woman, who pushed herself to excel in her studies and later received her Master's at Loma Linda University here in the States. One would think that after graduating she would stay and live a comfortable life here or wherever she wanted, instead she returned to Afghanistan and helped her own people.
In the book she stated "If we are to overcome terrorism and violence, we need education. That is the only way we can win."
That statement rung truth to my ears! I know that the world would be so much better if women had the opportunity to pursue getting an education, and then teaching their children to do the same.
I know that if women are educated peace would be a lot more prevalent in some of the most tumultuous parts of the world today.
So if you have the chance today, first take a moment and be grateful for being in this beautiful country with endless opportunities. Second, go watch Half The Sky and get educated on how to help everyone else live with the opportunities we have in their own beautiful countries.
