What do we do with what we know?

"Talent is universal. Opportunity is not." -Nicholas Kristof, "Half the Sky"

I am a huge fan of Nicholas Kristof's work in the New York Times and in general. He goes where so many other writers do not, doesn't mind offending people (who normally need to be offended), and finds real issues, and as he would say, "Real heroes." He and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, wrote a book together called Half the Sky. The book is about empowering women who have been oppressed in order to alleviate poverty in developing and developed countries. They don't focus on women's rights alone or who should be in charge, they just point out major changes that take place when women are empowered in society. Their book was recently made into a documentary that just aired on PBS. I didn't get to watch it on TV and only got to watch a few minutes of the first episode but watched the second episode in awe. It was worth procrastinating my graduate school homework over!

I actually don't know that I'll sleep tonight because there are a million things in my mind at the moment, either seen in the film or inspired by it. I can honestly walk away from the film knowing that I cannot continue going about my life the way I am. So with the introduction, I go back to my title-- "What do we do with what we know??" I posted the quote by Kristof at the top of the blog because it is worth thinking about.

In America/the West, we KNOW so much... those considered illiterate by Western standards would be considered highly intelligent in other societies. My principal says, "Education is the great equalizer." I think that's true. Education will change people, families, countries, societies, cultures and ultimately the world. Anyone can be talented like Kristof said but not everyone has the opportunity for education.

In my second trip to the continent of Africa, I was out on Lake Tanganyika (in northern Zambia) for 10 days. I had the opportunity to teach in the school, the alphabet for the little ones and English (I think--haha) with the older students. The chief of Nzovwe had several children, one of whom was in school in the older class. The 16ish-year-old girl was definitely clever and intelligent enough to be accepted into a university if she could get a formal education. However, there was not a FORMAL school there in the village. Her family was not willing to allow her to leave to get more of an education and the translator refused to tell the girl that I thought she could continue schooling. A clear sign of the lack of opportunity.

Yet, I teach around 160-180 students each day who have talent and opportunity and lack charisma and dedication to the subject. Does opportunity spoil us? What do we do with what we know??

I know what I do. Pray for those in another country to have the opportunity to be educated and loved. Nag the students who don't want to take the opportunity they are given and remind them that there are students just like them with the same talents with lots of charisma and dedication who do not have that opportunity. Tell me... what do you do with your opportunities? Just a thought :) -Melis