Shooting For the Moon

This past week some pretty significant things happened in the world. One of them was that Sally Ride died. Many people remember her as the first American woman to fly into space. Sally was this woman, and a lot more. When she flew into space in 1983, Sally became a symbol to many girls and young women that it was possible to move beyond cultural barriers and do things that had never been done before. That's so important.

Some of these girls from Longido and Kimokouwa
are enrolled in Vocational Training courses.

Thirty years later, courageous young girls all over the world are still asking for their rights to be met, including the right to education. In many cultures and for many years, girls have been told their lives would be devoted to building the family home, having children, fetching water and firewood each day, cooking, and cleaning. What if a girl wants to do something different? It isn't easy and the obstacles are huge.

Not everyone has the privilege of helping young girls mount near insurmountable odds in pursuit of their dreams. I am one woman who does, and I am just one of many people.

Astronaut, Sally Ride, was the first American woman to fly
outer space in 1983 - breaking through barriers to achieve her dream.

Last week 11 girls from Longido and Kimokouwa returned to Vocational Training courses and 13 new girls began new Vocational Training programs. Taking this step has the potential to dramatically change their lives. The girls - Rahema, Mary, Martha, Tabitha, Rachel, Ester, Nimfa, Sereya, Upendo, Margreth, and many others, are stepping over the confines of old restrictive barriers and into very strange and new worlds beyond the security of their Maasai bomas and traditions. They are enrolled in many different courses of study including: marketing, tailoring, community development, early childhood education, food preparation, tour guide, police officer, bookkeeping, medical assistant, and agricultural college training. The girls may not think they are doing anything special, but they are trailblazers and role models today, just as Sally Ride was in 1983. The choice they are making today means their daughters will grow up in a world that is very different from their world today.

These 24 girls are courageous for another reason, too. By continuing in school they are saying very clearly "I WILL NOT BE A CHILD BRIDE AND A CHILD MOTHER." They will not be added to the 51 million other girls throughout the world who are adolescent brides and mothers. That is an astounding number that is larger than the entire population of my country, Canada.

To these girls I say, "You are pretty special. You are change makers. You are a very big news story in the world this week."