What do Margo, Hodan and William have in common? All three of us have extremely different backgrounds. Margo is an educator in Northern Virginia, originally from
the Northeast, born in New York but raised in Connecticut. My Dream is to improve
the lives of others and the world as a whole, through education. I believe that
everyone with a positive outlook and open mind can make a difference in the
world. Those whom through their struggles find it hard to be positive, need our encouragement and support.
Hodan is am immigrant from Somalia. Hodan’s well off family
fled the civil war; some went to Europe, some to the US, not all of them made
it. Although her lavish lifestyle was left behind, she lives a comfortable middle
class life in the U.S., is happy, and incredibly positive. She does not take
life for granted. Her dream is to go to college and simply be the best that she
can be.
William comes from a poor rural family of farmers in Malawi.
He is now a student of engineering and environmental studies at Dartmouth
University. He was denied education due to poverty, but refused to give up so
he educated himself at a public library near his village. He self taught
himself how to make a windmill in order to provide water and energy to his drought-ridden
community. This windmill blew his story around the world. His present dream is
to go back to his country to develop schools as well as to implement “simple
tools” that will improve living conditions in his country.
On the evening of 10/24/2013, all three of us sat in the
same room, a public space, a hometown library in Leesburg Virginia. It was
there that I realized how much we had in common. Each of us represents a vane in the windmill,
working separately but with the same force to improve the lives of others.
- We all have a passion to educate and be educated.
- We realize the importance of learning from others, and the power of our stories to impact change around us.
- We adhere to Williams’s messages “Don’t allow challenges to stop you from (achieving) your goals.”
- “When you encounter a problem, experiment, go back and investigate, find out what to do next.”
- Rely on simplicity to solve problems efficiently.
Following is Hodan’s viewpoint of the talk. Hodan and I have
worked together for the past 8 months. Her goal is to improve her writing. She
has indeed. In this essay I am very proud of her introspection and the
connections she makes to William's journey. Same continent, different lives, unique
challenges, but truly acknowledging the power of one’s story and the sacrifice
one makes to make the world a better place.
About
William Kamkwam
William
Kamkwam was born in Malawi, Africa. Malawi is a small country where people
believed magic and science was unknown. Last week my teacher and I went to the
book signing of William Kamkwam. There I saw the man who harnessed the wind. He talked about his childhood and how he had vigorous
dreams. He explained how his family was poor and his village had no light.
However, for William, the darkness was the best time for his dreaming. He knew
that with a windmill, he would finally release the darkness and hunger. He told
us that a “windmill” meant more than just power, it was freedom of life. The
best thing he shared with us was that we could do anything, if we try! I
believe all things are possible, if they come from the heart.
While
in the auditorium, I thought about how William and I come from the same continent
but with a different concept of life. I was brought up in a rich life and ended
up poor overnight. The overview of his life makes me wonder if I could come out
and tell the world about my life story or at least write about it. The whole
week, following William’s presentation, I was wondering how I could share the
story of my life. But then, to think about it, brings back dreadful memories. Listening
to William inspires me to even share my own story. One day I will be brave
enough to share about my life journey from Somalia.
By
Hodan
Here is Williams Story:
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