The TED talk by Jaqueline Novogratz, “An Escape from Poverty”
was very moving. In her talk, she discussed the poverty people face in the Mathare
Valley slums in Kenya. She particularly discusses her interaction with a lady
from the slum named Jane. She discusses Jane’s journey and struggles and how
she was able to overcome those struggles and help others struggling. As
Novogratz was talking, I found myself thinking of my mother and all that she
had to go through go get to where she is now.
My mom grew up in a small, impoverished, village in Kenya called
Kamukunji, in a similar situation as Jane and the people of the Mathare Valley
slums. It is truly a miracle that she is where she is now and I have so much
admiration for her. As a girl, she was discouraged from going to school- she
had 4 brothers and 4 sisters and when her family couldn’t afford to send some kids
to school they just sent the boys. The same came to food, when there wasn’t
enough- they only fed the boys. It was a really screwed up childhood. By high
school, most of her female classmates had started dropping out and having
families. Similar to Jane, she had a goal and a dream. It was not so much of a
dream of what she wanted as much as what she didn’t want. She didn’t want to be
like the women in her village. She didn’t want to marry a man at 14 and spend
the rest of her life as a servant to his every need. She didn’t want to fall
asleep and wake up hungry. She didn’t want to get AIDS or have to sell her body
for money. It was fear of these things that motivated her to get to where she
is now.
When I was 13, my family took a trip back to her hometown to
visit family and see where she had grown up. It was the first time she had been
back in 20 years but the people in her village still remembered her. She was
the first female at the time to ‘make it’. After she came to America though and
went to college, she was able to break the cycle in her family. The other girls
in her family realized that it was possible and finished school and are doing
ok- better than the boys. Back then, people thought she was crazy for not
marrying a man and thinking that she could support herself. It was not until
she got a scholarship to a college in New York and was able to get a job and
start sending over money that they realized she wasn’t crazy. It was really
emotional to see my mom reunite with classmates on the streets and see what her
life could have been. When I hear stories of people like Jane or my mom, it
inspires me so much more to work hard and make the world a better place for
those who are struggling.
Joanna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog post because I felt like you could really relate to some of the narratives discussed in the TED Talks. I like how you related Jane to your mother, and how your mother may have experienced some hardships to become the adult that she is now. I am so impressed by the obstacles your mother fought so hard to overcome, and it really shows how strong she not only as a mother, but also as an independent woman. I cannot imagine living in a society where a female going to class is discouraged, and how males usually ate more than the females. This truly shows that gender discrimination is evident in all parts of the world. Women are viewed as inferior to men, and are stereotyped by the fact that they need to marry and have children before starting their own careers. I am in awe that your mother overcame these difficulties and even though she grew up in a small, impoverished village in Kenya, she is now free in the United States. It really is crazy that people believe women have to marry in order to live a worthy lifestyle. I can see how you are inspired by your mom’s decision in her early life, and how it can have an impact on you. We all have goals and dreams that sometimes may be viewed as impractical for women, but if we really set out minds to that goal, we can achieve it and show the world how worthy we really are as women.
Novogratz, J. (2009, February). Jacqueline Novogratz: An escape from poverty [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/jacqueline_novogratz_on_an_escape_from_poverty#t-434294
Hi Joanna, thank you for sharing the story of your mom. I can see why you referenced back to your mother while Novogratz spoke. There appears to various parallels between the struggles Jane and your mom faced. Both had dreams that helped them escape from their situation. I applaud your mom’s perseverance to attend college. She was able to break barriers to many of the other women in her family and community. You mom must certainly be inspiring to you and, what I would assume, many others.
ReplyDeleteTan Lee came to mind when you talked about your family trip to your mother’s hometown. Tan fear that her children will grow up in a life of privilege and entitlement. The sacrifice Tan and her mother made will prevent Tan’s children from having to experience the same challenges. Her children will not know the journey Tan and her mother had to make to get to Australia. Although that is good, it will also deny them of an experience that could make them appreciate where and what they have.
I do not know how your visit to your mom’s hometown affected you, but I would assume that it was a humbling experience. For me, it would have made me appreciate what my mother has done so much more. Not only is she seeing what her life could have been like, but you are also seeing how your life could have been if your mom had not decided to pursue her education. Your mom is definitely a great inspiration.
Joanna, thank-you so much for sharing your family’s story. Your mom’s ability to live her own dream, as opposed to everyone else’s, speaks of an inner strength that is inspirational. As a social worker I want to bottle her self-efficacy and give it to all of my future clients. Unlike many people who came from an impoverished place, your mom was able to appreciate her beginnings. By taking you and your family back there and sending money to the village over the years your mom has been able to keep that part of herself alive. This is especially important during young adulthood when many people are trying to find themselves. Often times we think that to feel whole we have to become completely different people, when in reality we just need to embrace each part of ourselves. This includes the darkest parts of ourselves that would sometimes be easier to forget (like growing up in poverty). We saw this search for identity play out multiple times this week. First with Jacqueline Novogratz as she came to terms with her dreams. By being happy with the love of her children and the hope that her work brought, Jacqueline was able to find herself. Tan Le also spoke of a similar coming to terms experience. Le says that her first memories are of her family’s boat ride to freedom. Le describes the challenges of life as a refugee but is also able to accept where she came from and include it in her self-image. This is what I want for everyone, my clients and myself included.
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