BRITTANY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
BRITTANY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
Beyond discovering more about myself than I ever thought imaginable during this journey in the Dominican Republic, I had yet another instance of inspiration, a hefty push of realization and a new found emotional connection beyond the long term expectations I thought I had prior to this experience.
On what I thought was just going to be a rainy Monday morning, was farther from the truth. This Monday morning ultimately changed my life. Sarah Fisher, administrator executive of the Mariposa Foundation, came over to where we are living as a group during our time in Cabarate, and what I thought was going to be an informative session about female empowerment and more about the Mariposa Foundation, I was proven wrong. On this rainy Monday morning, Sarah set up her projector screen on one of our walls and presented to us different chapters from the film, “Girl Rising.” Girl Rising is similar to what the Mariposa Foundation stands for; educating girls to break the cycle of poverty in one generation. The first chapter of the film, is what gave me the inspiration to become more than what I thought I was going to be. We met a seven year old girl named Wadley who lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She was fortunate enough to be able to go to school, but still lived amongst poverty. Wadley loved going to school and dreamed of learning about women in power alongside all the men she was learning about. Moments later her world comes crashing down as a horrific earthquake swept across Haiti in which destroys her entire country including her school and home. As a seven year old girl, one would quickly make the assumption that their frantic, scared, and unmotivated to do anything but be by their family’s side; Not Wadley. Moving to a tent community after the earthquake, Wadley’s daily routine consisted of walking far distances for water for her and her family, not going to school. One day during her travels to fetch water, she stumbled upon a makeshift school house set up by her teacher before the earthquake despite all the rubble and dust that now surrounded the community. With excitement to go back to school, Wadley ran home with her bucket of water and told her mother the good news! Wadley’s dream was quickly turned down when her mother explained she cannot go back to school because they have no money since the earthquake. The next day when Wadley went to get water for her family, she instead decided to go sit in the school house and attend school. The teacher asked Wadley if her mother paid the money for her to go to school, and Wadley said no. The teacher then asked her to leave and not to come back until she started paying. It was not until this experience Wadley had that she realized it was money that made people different. It is what has power over people’s futures, including hers. With her irrepressible spirit and thirst to learn, Wadley continued to show up to the schoolhouse everyday despite getting turned away. Finally, when Wadley showed up to the schoolhouse, she tried something different. She told the teacher, “I will come back every day until I can stay.” The teacher then agrees to let Wadley stay at the schoolhouse and continue her education without paying like the others. I have never met seven year old Wadley, nor have I ever stepped foot into Haiti, but I have intertwined myself within her story, and felt a deep connection to her resilience, despite all the negativity that surrounded her. I never thought at twenty-one years old, a seven year old girl, whom I have never met, would change my life and inspire me beyond what I ever thought capable for myself. Our generation is so quick to complain about how difficult college is, or how horrible a professor was last semester, and literally take for granted the opportunity were all gifted with to go to school. Wadley fought against all odds to receive an education at seven years old, and always had the biggest smile on her face while doing so. We are so willing to allow the smallest of irrelevant things sour our mood, yet Wadley would fight to deal with something as small as the daily “problems” we get frustrated over. She looked past all the poverty, ignorance, death, and natural disaster, and never forgot to smile, to laugh, and to learn. Throughout meeting Wadley and her story, I fell immensely emotional with my heart practically beating out of my chest. I could not help but think that long term goals I set for myself were no longer up to par with what I newly found I was capable of. I want to help in the fight to end generational poverty. I want to be a part of girls’ lives and provide to them the resources and tools and love they so rightfully deserve to ensure success and happiness. I want to be a part of something much greater than a classroom in the United States. Wadley has inspired me and opened my eyes to an entirely special world. I am empowered. I am motivated. I am encouraged. I am inspired.
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AuthorJunior | 716 | Alpha Epsilon Phi | Music and Traveling Enthusiast | Concert and Movie Goer | Lemon Addict Archives
March 2017
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