VOF Week 4: (Dare to dream)

{speaker starts off softly} I see a world that is equal and fair. A world where women have the freedom of choice. It is a world where women are not limited by their race, gender or ethnicity. {speaker’s voice starts to get louder and more intense} A world where education is free of bias and open to all. It’s a world where oppression, negativity and violence does NOT exist anymore. It is a world where my idealism and optimism is the norm and not the laughing stock of the community. {speaker’s voice reaches an appropriately high, intense volume for impact}. It is a world that {pause} can {pause} happen {pause}!

{The audience cheers and applauds – YES - the world agrees - success}

I walk off stage ... and then … I wake up. {moaning … groaning … morning eyes opening) I look around. {ahhhh} I was dreaming again – time to face reality. {sigh} Wanting to change the world is not an easy task. But you know what is easy? Going to work everyday. {pause here for impact – no one believes me} I am being serious though – I know I just said wanting to change the world is not easy. Of course work isn’t perfect – it has its ups and downs. But I enjoy work. Every single day I get to and try to be a better teacher – I am privileged with the opportunity to be a positive, {emotion is entering my voice now} motivating role model. My students provide me with the encouragement that I can help to change the world, one student at a time {voice reaches a climax where it starts to break}. It’s the ripple effect right? If a woman receives a good education, then their homes, villages, communities and cities will improve (in all aspects of development). {I validate myself}

I go to work everyday trying to help those in my immediate community improve, which will intern help the broader communities of the world develop when they return home. {voice gets lower and softer} It is exhausting, and it doesn’t leave much energy for other side projects that I could be working on while in Bangladesh. But everyday that I teach, every night that I go home after a long day of work I am satisfied. I see how my students grow and mature {I sound shy and proud}. I watch them learn about the world, about who they are and what they can do. I really, truly believe that they will help fight for a fairer world where women are respected and given the freedom of choice.

The school community I am in now, 129 female pre-university students and 15 foreign teachers is tight knit, we help and support each in all types of endeavors – I want to extend that support network. Being a correspondent would allow me to continue to learn from women around the world and to share my experiences and insight with those who want to listen. It will connect me with others who are interested in creating a more just world. A correspondent position will facilitate my efforts to work towards women’s empowerment and education, which is essential for a fairer and more just world. {pause}

{starting slowly} Being a correspondent will give me the opportunity to share my stories, to share how empowered I feel as a women, and to help empower others. {passion and speed increase} I love to share my experiences and stories, I loves seeing others grown and improve and I love to learn – being a correspondent for World Pulse will help me achieve all of these things. The World Pulse community is a positive environment; it fosters understanding, personal development and allows women to be empowered. I have watched my students participate in this World Pulse process. I am so proud of them – I want to help other women feel the empowerment that I can see growing in my students {awwww}. I want represent World Pulse because I agree with the mission and values it promotes. {The Oscar music that signals time up is starting to play}. I want to be the agent of change that I know I can be for women around the world.