I recall
growing up in the 1960’s with very little money and resources. My mother on had
a 10th grade education and my father changed jobs like the weather.
He did not hold onto a job very long; for reasons I did not understand. Having
six brothers and sisters, it was very difficult for my parents to provide the
basics – food, clothing, and shelter. I always wore my older sister’s
hand-me-downs. We ate free breakfast and lunch at school. Some days that was
all we ate. There were a few times when there was no dinner. Of course school
was hard. I was teased a lot in school because my clothes were tattered and
worn. I was very shy and withdrawn and did not have many friends. No one wanted
to be friends with the little poor kids. It was very tough and I remember
thinking I really don’t want to go to school.
There was
on teacher that took a special interest in me. I was always smart and got good
grades. She could see that my family did not have a lot of money but she helped
me see how smart I was and all that I could achieve with a good education. So,
I threw myself into my studies. That was the one thing I could control. I
wanted to make sure I provided a better life for myself and my children.
Education
has afforded me opportunities that I am very grateful for. Oprah Winfrey opened
up a school in South Africa for girls because of her humble beginnings. She
knew that a good education could empower girls in an impoverished country to
become leaders of tomorrow. Across Africa, 28
million girls between the ages of about 6 and 15 are not in school and many
will never be able to enter a classroom (Global Education Report, 2015).
In some parts of South Africa, girls live in very violent situations
where extremists try to destroy their lives and their families and communities.
These condition force girls to give up their dream of getting an education;
forcing them to live in severe poverty. In South Africa, poverty is the biggest
barrier for a girl getting an education. Education is the way out for those
girls in South Africa just as it was for me. I do not pretend that my battle
with poverty compares to the girls in South Africa. However, as a little girl
it was that bad.
Global Education Report. (2015). No girl left behind – Education in
Africa. Retrieved from
