Tererai Trent an
African woman shares her story with Marie Forleo. And this story is one of the
most powerful ones you will ever hear. I haven’t read her book but it is at the
top on my To Read list.
Tererai Trent was
born in a village in sub-saharan Africa. She says like all the women in her
community she too was born, holding a ‘baton’, a baton of poverty, illiteracy and
early marriage. This baton was being passed from generation to
generation. But She also talks about the wisdom that was passed on from generation
to generation.
Her country had just
earned independence. A bunch of foreign women, from USA, Australia
etc were working there for a social cause.
Looking at the foreign women, she felt a sense of empowerment…confidence-loving thyself…Tererai wanted that….
They had backpacks …they would reach into the backpacks, get out their books
and spectacles and would read through their papers and books and then would put
their spectacles back. For Tererai Spectacles became a sign of education!!
The foreign women would talk about these degrees and Tererai felt that education was THE means to change her life.
Hearing Tererai, the American woman said to Tererai…’Yes it is achievable, If you desire those dreams …if you desire to change your life, yes Tinogona (‘It is achievable’ in Tererai’s mother tongue’).
When Tererai told her mother about her four dreams, she advised her write the dreams on a piece of paper and bury it in the ground just like they would bury the umbilical cord of their newborn child… The burial of the umbilical cord was symbolic to remind the person of his/her roots …And her mother told her that in addition to these personal dreams she should write a fifth dream… Tererai’s uneducated mother explained to her ‘Your dream in life would have a greater meaning when they are tied to the betterment of your community ’
Your dream in
life would have a greater meaning when they are tied to the betterment of your
community.
Tererai then spent ‘8
freaking years’ to finish her under graduate degree through correspondence to
Cambridge…When she moved to the US, along with her kids and husband to get a
Masters Degree, she didn’t have a scholarship, or even support system to take
care of children…she would work three jobs… she had to sometimes feed her
children off the food in the trash can… But she was determined to break the
vicious cycle of poverty and illiteracy …She told herself that at the end of the tunnel
despite its darkness, there was light …And the she was the only one who could
have solutions to her problems.
Listen to this profound, wise and courageous woman....or read her book The Awakened Woman https://amzn.in/cYjRJVK
What did you think of this story? Leave your comments.
