An educated child grows into an empowered adult with the gift of choice. Through education our youth has increased opportunity to pursue purpose rich lives. I believe that education is the key to creating human equality and a more positive world. When we know better we can do better.
Everyone deserves equal opportunity, all children should be provided with basic necessities, and I feel strongly that education falls under this category. To deny a child an education is simply not acceptable in this day and age. I often wonder why more people aren’t bringing awareness to this issue. I’ve been told that it’s too overwhelming, this makes me fiery and motivates me to use my voice in the biggest way possible.
Through technology we have the means to globally communicate and help serve the needs of the next generation. If we put our time into educating our youth, helping them find purpose in their lives, they will be prepared to lead a better world. Isn’t that a common statement made by parents “ I want a better life for my children”. It is possible to collectively create a better education experience for our children, by recognizing that every child is part of the puzzle, rich or poor, the children of tomorrow are connected to your children. If you are aware of this global problem, it is your duty to contribute to helping make change happen. When we change our focus to our common thread – being human – we open ourselves up to extraordinary possibilities.
When people fear change they encourage oppression, their fear of the unknown turns into resistance. This can lead to violence and negative patterns where many people suffer. When we accept that the only constant in life is change, when we embrace this fact, then life becomes simple and balanced again. We create our own chaos through our fears. If you want to live this way as a singular person – that is your choice. It becomes problematic when a person’s fears are projected onto others causing an assertion of control to slow down evolution and growth. Throughout history this has happened over and over and has destroyed cultures, countries, and many lives.
As we walk through fear we see value in what we are building. We find strength as we accomplish every step and this is what keeps us moving forward. My friend, Katie Meyler, is an excellent example. Katie is an angel on a mission – to save girls from a life of prostitution by empowering them through education. She built a school in West Point Liberia called More Than Me Academy. She purposely chose this name – when you live a life of service it is more than us, more than me, it is about providing opportunity and hope. Her school is creating tomorrow’s leaders who will be empowered to implement change and positively impact their country.
“The More Than Me Academy is on a mission to make sure education and opportunity, not exploitation and poverty, define the lives of the most vulnerable girls from the West Point Slum of Liberia. When she graduates, she will decide what comes next for her life. MTM is the first tuition-free, all girls school in Liberia. “Not only do we give these girls an education, but we also provide them with two hearty meals a day, access to healthcare, access to a computer lab and library, and a robust after school program, ensuring the girls are off the street for the entire day from 7am to 5pm.”
We love Katie and her mission, she is so unbelievably courageous and devoted to her girls. When ebola forced MTM to temporarily close their doors this past summer, she fought back. She opened an orphanage for children, organized ambulances to search for people with ebola symptoms, educated people on how to stay healthy, distributed food, comforted those suffering from the loss of a loved one, and of course she made people smile as she danced in the streets (so Katie). She shared her story through instagram, she showed the human side of what was happening, everyday life in Liberia fighting ebola. I was overjoyed when I heard MTM academy will be re-opening this month!! If you would like to make a donation to MTM please click here.
~Miss Kiss~
photo cred: Katie Meyler (instagram)
