The Universal Language of Friendship 👫

On most days, he comes to school wearing very old clothes with holes in them, arms and legs covered in sand and dirt. I remember him on my first night at the IDP camp. Classes were suspended for two days as teachers had gone on strike. He was at the playground alone, standing on a broken plank and did not wear any shoes. I had wondered if anyone was looking for him. 

He saw me approaching from afar as I walked towards the school and without hesitation, he ran to me quickly with arms wide open, and wrapped them tightly around my legs. We exchanged smiles, both looked at each other and giggled. He then grabbed my hands, and together we ran towards the plank. He didn't want to let go. 

In a country I traveled alone to and knew very little about, I held a sense of insecurity, but something about being in the presence of this boy made me feel safe. That particular memory taught me a few things I will never forget:

1. Follow your dreams: I learned that life was more than the constant fight for acceptance and approval from my family in my professional advancement and personal relationships. Good was never enough. Nothing could be more harmful than great job. Chasing a meaningless dream only to satisfy your parents meant that I had to be okay with living a very long, unfulfilling life. I didn't want that. Slowing down and practicing patience helped open my eyes to something greater, and that was to join the fight against poverty.

2. The little things matter: I was once in a relationship where I was convinced to ignore my emotions, pick my battles, and only confront matters of upmost significance because the little things weren't entirely worthy of a conversation. Overlooking the present, in the now, moments was a choice. The attachment to a smartphone, taking human interaction and emotional connection for granted was also a choice. Though the signs may be subtle, another person's energy is an undeniably powerful, contagious thing. My heart was not full. This was a reminder that details mean everything, and the simple and small things DO matter because the way someone makes you feel today can manifest and change your world. 

3. Trust yourself: Someone who once meant the world to me had said that I would never be successful in this pursuit and that it was too ambitious. The worst thing you can do is to go against your gut feeling, and sacrifice your voice for the sake of someone else's opinion or happiness. It is something that is always worth protecting and fighting for. I learned that nothing is more valuable than believing in yourself, and no one can define your happiness or purpose than you alone. 

4. Pay attention to your heart: There is nothing that could describe, to the fullest extent, something that can only be felt in my heart. This boy possessed an unconditional love that radiates from within, and his eyes were filled with raw hope. He didn't ask for anything but for my friendship and company. I've never experienced anything more sincere, joyful and free. Nothing else mattered when everything before me became still; and it was beautiful!

It's amazing how much perspective and wisdom I have gained from slowing down, and appreciating the world around me! I knew the only obvious answer was to spread joy as much as possible, and make it my life-long goal to promote education so these children have an active role in someday working toward breaking the vicious cycle of multi-generation poverty, improving their health, promoting gender equality, peace and stability. 

The boy never told me his name, but I nicknamed him Star in Chinese (星 shares the same pronunciation as both star and heart), as he was the brightest one shining amongst the sky. We didn't speak the same language and he hardly spoke, but we shared a universal language: friendship, and that's all we really needed. He will never know this, but I owe it to him for teaching me to follow my heart. ☺️

xx,
st

Pictured: Star wearing the best clothes he owns, which is his school uniform required at Southern Cross Academy. Uniforms reduce conflict around social groups identified by appearance and promotes equality, which means greater ability to focus on academic performance. 

“The best and the most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.”

— Helen Keller

Nothing but Smiles ☺️

Happy Friday, ya'll!

Here's to these vibrant, genuine smiles. I hope it fills your heart with an incredible amount of love and joy as it has for mine! #abundantlyblessed

xx,
st

Manu and Ian, students at Southern Cross Academy in Kenya, Africa

Follow Your Dreams

Motivational speech on my last day at Southern Cross Academy with 241 hearts of gold.

It's Mashujaa Day! 🇰🇪

Today we celebrate Mashujaa Day, commemorating the day Kenya achieved full independence, and in honor of the heroes who liberated their country from colonialists. In the new constitution (2010), the meaning of this special day also recognizes all of their heroes at large. Heko! To the Kenya Defense Forces for their protection, to the Olympians who provide hope for their country, to their Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, to their courageous female leaders who inspire young girls that they can beat the odds, and to all of those who push for the reduction of poverty and environmental conservation.

I thank the educators at Southern Cross Academy, the hard-working families at the camps of Maai Mahiu, and every child who I know in my heart, are destined for amazing things.

Teachers at Southern Cross Academy (+Ian)

End Child Marriage

Did you know that 15 million girls marry before the age of 18 each year? That's the equivalent of one every 2 seconds. Of the world's 1.1 billion girls, 22 million are already married. Hundreds of millions are more at risk, and the number will only grow as populations increase. It is estimated that more than 140 million girls will become child brides by 2020. In every region, the poor are most at risk of child marriage.

Unless progress is accelerated, the global number of child brides will remain at least as high as it is today. If progress is accelerated, there will be 1 in 10 child brides in the world in 2050 compared to 1 in 4 today.

Why do girls get married as children?
- The older girls get, the higher their dowry will be for their parents
- Girls marry early because their families believe this protects girls from sexual violence
- Laws that protect girls are NOT enforced
- Inequalities between girls vs. boys (although I recently learned that in certain countries, boys marry as young as 5 years old in Nepal)

Child marriage is a violation of children's rights. It continues to rob the childhood of millions of girls around the world, despite being prohibited by international law. It forces them out of education and opportunities to follow their dreams, and into life of poor prospects, with increased risk of violence, abuse, ill health or early death. If a mother is under the age of 18, her infant's risk of dying in its first year of life is 60% greater than that of an infant from to a mother older than 19. Even if the child survives, he or she is more than likely to suffer from low birth weight, face challenges around nutrition and late physical and cognitive development.

Ending child marriage will help break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by allowing girls to participate more fully in society. Empowered and educated girls are better able to care for their children, leading to healthier, smaller families. 

Getting involved:
- Increase the awareness of children's rights
- Support girls to get an education and earn their own income
- Increase access to sexual and reproductive health services
- Demand that governments keep the age of legal marriage to 18 years
- Enforce laws that protect children

Please sign below in asking Michelle Obama to support an Adolescent Girl Strategy in the fight against child marriage.