Spirit of Time

I wonder how many people watch international news, see the events going on in other parts of the world, sigh, express how horrible it is, and then turn the channel without a second thought. I know so many people like that. Or people who, in a rant about America giving away all of our money, say “it’s just none of our damn business what goes on in Africa.” I like to think that in, at the very least, my educated life, that I was not have either of these reactions I just expressed. I have been fascinated with the hardships and suffering in other countries, but I never knew what to do about it. Sure, you could “adopt” a child in a third world country who will receive your check once a month, or not receive it, you never really know.

My senior year I was prepared for a good debate season. I had gained a lot of new knowledge by going to state last year, and being a senior and captain gave me an even bigger advantage to having a really successful season. Our topic for the year stated: Resolved that the United States Federal Government should increase it’s public health assistance to Sub Saharan Africa. This was, as said before, something I was fascinated with. I dove into research for my case, and was amazed, appalled, and disgusted by what I found. I found that little girls don’t get to go to school because they walk five miles both ways to fetch disease infested water in a probably stagnant pool home to thousands of malaria carrying mosquitoes. I found that 2.4 million children die every year from diarrhea, something we would not think twice about. Many of the people are enslaved, terrified for their lives, and witness that life is way too short. I found that our funding is allotted to the “prevention” of diseases that are also present in the Western World (HIV), not necessarily those who need the most attention, or are easily prevented and cured. Our legislators pay little to no attention to the culture that we are pouring money into, and instead waste a ridiculous amount of money teaching abstinence and single partner importance to a society who’s system of beliefs and culture allows multiple partners. We create utter dependence on Western Intervention, instead of helping the countries that make up the Sub Saharan African region thriving and self dependent.

I looked away from my research for a while. Under my fingertips were the keys to my brand new laptop. To my right, my three hundred dollar cell phone, and in my ears, music was playing quietly from my then top of the line video iPod. Granted, I had worked for most of these things, but I had the opportunity to, when many, like these people in Sub Saharan Africa did not. I felt disgusted with myself, wondering why I was complaining about my car yesterday
It’s hard to explain exactly how I felt at this point in my year. Even though I was not into designer clothes and shoes like a lot of the girls in my school, I was none the less infatuated with money. I wanted to get into a good school so I could get into a great law school, get a great job, and make amazing money. It was all means to a selfish end.
The things I learned in debate made me feel like I needed to do something to contribute to the current state of the world, like it was not okay to only worry bout yourself. When we had the opportunity to hear a speaker from Sudan, I without question skipped my most difficult class to sit it. The speaker was a woman from the Dinka tribe. She had faced persecution for her race and had to fake a Muslim religion her entire life. Members of her family were killed fighting for freedom in Sub Saharan Africa, Sudan to be specific, and she had narrowly escaped. She was able to make her way to America, where she feels blessed every day by the freedom she receives here. But this is only where her story begins, and because this is not where it ends that she affected me so much.
The speaker was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. There was something so different about her, and her beauty was far superior to our models in our magazine. I suppose in Sudan she would be an average woman, but the tone of her skin, her long elegant arms, and curvy but lean body was exotically beautiful to me. Most of all I was drawn by her spirit. The way she spoke of her homeland, even in it’s current state of turmoil, was as if she worshiped the land she used to know. The purpose of her speech was strictly informal. Our coach had just asked her to speak about her life. I asked her what her in life was now that she was in America. Her answer shocked me. After all the trouble she went through to escape the condition of her life, she wanted to go back. She wanted to go to refugee camps to teach young girls English, and more importantly, she added, how important it was to be your own woman. She wanted to teach these girls of freedom.

I knew this is how I could help. I could help her fulfill her dream and in turn help other girls. We would help her go home. The look on her face when we told her was one that I will never forget: that of pure thanks. We held a public debate over the topic. We were able to inform our public about the tribulations that they might have previously turned the channel on. In turn, we were able to raise half of the money needed for (NAME) to return to Sudan.
I spent the remainder of y year diving deeper into this subject of my study. I did my senior research paper on our current government’s aid to Sub Saharan Africa. Through this year I learned not only about Africa but also about myself. I realized that the most important thing in life was not to be financially successful, but instead to be proud of what you do. I have never been more proud of myself than when I was able to help someone else fulfill her dream. Through this year I learned that I want to teach people about other cultures, other lives, and other problems that are not quite as selfish as the ones we think we face daily.

Inspi(red) Photoshoot