In the video First Lady Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep, Freida
Pinto, and Isha Sesay travel to Morocco and Liberia where they meet young women
who are overcoming various obstacles to get an education and improve their
lives. These young women are fighting
for the right to an education so they can have the opportunity to better
themselves and their communities. The
video highlights the stories of a few young women including Raphina in Liberia
who wakes up every morning at 5am to clean the house, bathe her little
brothers, prepare food for the household and go to market all before attending
her first classes of the day. The only
time she has to study is at night with a flashlight from 9-11pm. The video also talks about Fouzya in Morocco
who is the first girl from her village to obtain a college degree. She discusses how in her community there is a
lot of gender discrimination and girls are not thought of as needing an
education. The role of girls is to be in
the home and many parents do not prioritize their daughter’s education.
Pinto, and Isha Sesay travel to Morocco and Liberia where they meet young women
who are overcoming various obstacles to get an education and improve their
lives. These young women are fighting
for the right to an education so they can have the opportunity to better
themselves and their communities. The
video highlights the stories of a few young women including Raphina in Liberia
who wakes up every morning at 5am to clean the house, bathe her little
brothers, prepare food for the household and go to market all before attending
her first classes of the day. The only
time she has to study is at night with a flashlight from 9-11pm. The video also talks about Fouzya in Morocco
who is the first girl from her village to obtain a college degree. She discusses how in her community there is a
lot of gender discrimination and girls are not thought of as needing an
education. The role of girls is to be in
the home and many parents do not prioritize their daughter’s education.
Despite the obstacles these young girls face, they
prioritize their education. They embody the
growth mindset and are well aware that they need to continue with school in
order to have the opportunity to change the trajectory of their life. They are passionate about learning and do not
want anything to keep them back from achieving their dreams.
prioritize their education. They embody the
growth mindset and are well aware that they need to continue with school in
order to have the opportunity to change the trajectory of their life. They are passionate about learning and do not
want anything to keep them back from achieving their dreams.
While many aspects of this video inspired me what really
left an impact was toward the end of the video when one of the girls asked
Meryl Streep what advice she had for the girls.
This is what Meryl responded with:
left an impact was toward the end of the video when one of the girls asked
Meryl Streep what advice she had for the girls.
This is what Meryl responded with:
“I’m not sure I have advice for the girls here. I think within each
one of them, the young women that I have met, have such strength of purpose. It
all exists within each of you. It is already there. And you just have to reach
in and access it. Because in my own life, I know that losing heart is the most
dangerous thing. You can put any obstacle in front of me and I’ll jump over it.
But when I lose heart, you lose everything. And so, you take your strength from
your friends, from that one person in your life who has said you are capable…You
only need one.”
one of them, the young women that I have met, have such strength of purpose. It
all exists within each of you. It is already there. And you just have to reach
in and access it. Because in my own life, I know that losing heart is the most
dangerous thing. You can put any obstacle in front of me and I’ll jump over it.
But when I lose heart, you lose everything. And so, you take your strength from
your friends, from that one person in your life who has said you are capable…You
only need one.”
Meryl’s words reminded me how powerful our words are to our
students. I thought about how important
it is to share with our girls that we do believe in them. We know they are capable. We are setting the bar high for them because
we know they can achieve it. As
educators we need to show our students that they have a strength of purpose
within themselves and they do not have to struggle alone. We are here to support them.
students. I thought about how important
it is to share with our girls that we do believe in them. We know they are capable. We are setting the bar high for them because
we know they can achieve it. As
educators we need to show our students that they have a strength of purpose
within themselves and they do not have to struggle alone. We are here to support them.