Dear Friends,
I so completely agree with the words of Nelson Mandela, who we sadly lost this year but whose vision lives on. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” he once said, and it is this belief that compelled me to board an Ethiopia-bound plane for the first time. And now, I’m excited — truly excited! — to have the opportunity to teach and learn in this beautiful and complex African country once more.
I firmly believe that education is a basic human right, not a birthright. And when I act on this belief by traveling to Ethiopia to work with youngsters there, I still feel that I’m acting locally, despite the physical distance, because in the end, all of humankind is connected.
Ensuring education, this basic human right, requires money, but less than one might think. A mere $21, for example, educates a child for a month; $252, a year. These sweet children in Ethiopia desperately want an education, yet most families lack the means to fund one. If everyone reading this contributed $21 to send a child to school for just one month — well, we would begin to move mountains.
I’m traveling more than 7,500 miles, rolling up my sleeves and getting dirty to help. Rough terrain, food poisoning, bedbugs and fleas are all very real possibilities as I make my way in Ethiopia. Believe me, I get more than I give when I interact with these sweet children, but it won’t be easy.
I’m asking you to help in your own way. Think about what you life would be like if you were born somewhere where the opportunities and education you’ve enjoyed were virtually impossible if not for outside intervention. Then click “donate now” to assist me in my efforts. Let’s give everyone, regardless of where they were born, a fair shot at education.
I know how busy we all are, so when I reach out again, please know it is coming from a sincere and humble place of wanting to remind you, as I myself often need reminders.
With deepest gratitude,
Stephanie
