09 November 2009
Zimbabwean Tererai Trent Discusses Educating and Empowering Girls
CO.NX webchat transcript, November 9
Tererai Trent, deputy director at Heifer International, answered questions in a November 9 CO.NX webchat on how she accomplished her dreams and the importance of educating girls and women.
Following is the transcript:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Webchat Transcript
CO.NX Chat:
Guest: Tererai Trent
Date: November 9, 2009
Time: 12 p.m.–1 p.m. EDT (17:00 GMT)
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): This webchat has been changed. It will take place Monday, November 9 at 17:00 GMT. Please join us to chat with Tererai Trent. You may submit questions at any time. Once submitted, your question will appear in red.
Jennryn Wetzler: Greetings everyone. I will be helping as a Moderator for this chat, in Washington, DC
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): Hello everyone. Welcome to today's chat! Tererai Trent will be joining us in just a few moments.
Tererai: Hello everyone, I am excited to be part of this discussion and I believe you are here because you also believe in education for women. Hope to have a great discussion!
Question [syeda atia bilkis]: I was married off by the time 12 years old, and now I have completed my masters in social welfare after a long struggle - including lost my father, mother, brother and divorce with my husband and got 2nd marriage, and my 2nd husband was drug addicted. I pass all my struggle and I overcome all my struggle including recent accidental death of my younger brother and his wife. They left 3 small kids whom are with me now. My husband is out of drug with my help. I have 2 nice sons but you are lucky because you found American woman to help you to reach your goal. But I did not get any support. I struggle for money to continue my education. So are you not lucky then me? I am now doing job with a Sami government organization in a higher post. I also want to go USA but no one is here to support me. Can you help me?
Answer [Tererai]: Syeda atia bilkis, You sound like you are a very strong individual and I am sorry to hear about the challenges you have faced. I can relate to your story and you inspire me to know that there are women like you who are struggling and are not giving up. Yes, I was fortunate to meet someone from an organization called Heifer International who inspired me to believe in my own dreams for an education. The woman did not give me any money to come to the U.S for my education; through her organization, I managed to work in my community and got attention from other organizations who hired me. While working I studied hard to fulfill all requirements needed for higher learning. It took me many years before I saved enough to come to the U.S. My mother even sold a cow to supplement part of my airfare. It was tough, but I believed in myself and I had many people who encouraged me. Hence, the motto for me is to believe in my dreams and you seem to do the same.
Q: [safae ennour el amraoui]: Hello I’m Safae a 17 years old girl from Morocco. I saw you on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and I was really impressed. I mean you got over all the obstacles and difficulties especially as your conditions were very tough and it wasn’t easy at all. Me at that period I was depressed, but when I heard about your story, I knew that there are cases worse than what I can ever imagine, and through your story I realized that it is possible to make my dreams come true despite how far or how big they are .So thank you and I hope you haven't had an effect just on me but also on others to prove that everything is possible all that you need is optimism, perseverance and real love of what you want to get so thank you another time.
A [Tererai]: Safae, thanks for your kind words and I believe you can also believe in your own dreams. I was fortunate to have many people believing I can do it despite the challenges. As women, I think we can make a difference.
Q: [abdoul gassim toure]: what is your project for the African child?
A [Tererai]: Abdul, Thank you for your question; I work for Heifer International an organization that provides livestock and economic development to many communities and families around the world. The organization makes sure that both girls and boys in our projects have access to education as well as nutrition.
Q: [Fahmida Mashaal]: My name is Mashaal and I am a high school student in Pakistan. Your story seems some sort of a fantasy; how did it all happen? I mean how could you go to USA and then who funded your education?
A [Tererai]: Hi Mashaal. There are no miracles in my story; I owe my success to many individuals, and particularly women, who helped me to be where I am today. The journey was not easy. It took me many years of working to come to the U.S. When I came to the U.S., I worked 2-3 jobs mostly at night and attended school during the day. These jobs helped to pay my tuition. Summer was the best time to work for my tuition; since classes were limited I worked more hours. During the summer, I also volunteered for ‘Habitat for Humanity’ and the director, who happened to be the Vice President of my University, linked me to a woman’s organization. This organization helped with costs for my books. When I completed my undergraduate degree, I was lucky to get a research assistantship for my masters and a fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW), later I was employed by Heifer International and this helped a lot. For my PhD, my organization has a policy on education, which allowed me to accomplish my last dream. Recently, I defended my PhD dissertation and will be graduating this December.
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): To learn more about overcoming obstacles for girls' education go to: http://www.america.gov/st/develop-english/2009/October/20091022103451berehellek0.225979.html?CP.rss=true.
ashar: hi my name is ashar im form karachi pakistan
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): Welcome! Thanks for joining us today! Please feel free to submit a question to Tererai.
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): Thank you all for joining us today. Please continue to submit questions for Tererai.
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): Here is an article on overcoming obstacles to girls' secondary education in Africa: http://www.america.gov/st/develop-english/2009/October/20091022103451berehellek0.225979.html?CP.rss=true.
Bunju: hi!
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): Hello! Welcome.
Q: [Nalaka De Alvis]: What do you think about young generation and their attitudes?
A [Tererai]: The young generations (youth) need to be actively engaged in things that inspire them and when they are not, then we tend to see a lot of attitude problems. We need that energy channeled positively. I believe in our young generations, and we need to give them more opportunities for education
Q: [Samatha]: You are an inspiration for me. What advice would you give to girls whose families pressure them to get married at a young age?
A [Tererai]: It is very difficult because most societies follow these culturally entrenched traditions which disempower young girls and women. The best thing is to discuss with other people you trust (e.g. teachers, nurses, etc.), people who can be your advocate. Also, identify other organizations that are working on these issues, e.g. UNICEF, USAID, etc. if there are any in your area. Find an adult you trust. Speak out, but be careful because you do not want to end up in big trouble. My heart goes for these young girls. I know how painful it is and how the lives of these kids are destroyed.
Q: [Fahmida Mashaal]: Here in Pakistan, the US embassy has suspended its visa services. I am a girl and long to study in US, but the state of my country is depressing and distressing. In Pakistan, there is a dearth of female education in the rural areas. You should come here to promote female education.
A [Tererai]: Fahmida Mashaal, thanks for your invitation to come to Pakistan, and I can feel that you are concerned about women’s education. I believe one day you will inspire many women in your country. I am sorry to hear that women’s education in Pakistan is limited. This is so true in many other parts of the world and hence, the very reason why this discussion is critical. By sharing our feelings and bringing attention to the importance of women’s education, I believe we can create a positive energy and inspire our governments, the donor community and our own communities to challenge themselves and start to see women’s education as a fundamental human rights issue. We should not let others see women as victims, but as part of the solution. I have been so excited to be part of this discussion because we can share our common challenges and solutions.
Power to Women: You are a very strong woman and I am very proud of what you accomplished. Congratulations on obtaining a PhD.
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): For a photo slideshow on girls' education go to: http://www.america.gov/multimedia/photogallery.html#/4110/girls_school/.
Q: [Jen]: What advice do you have to girls from younger generations?
A [Tererai]: I have three young daughters, so I tell them to study hard because education is the only weapon women have to fight poverty, indignity and hunger. Young girls should persevere in their studies. The outcomes are positive.
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): We have an active CO.NX community on Facebook. Several of our fans commented on this topic. I will now put up a presentation with some of those comments.
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): If you have comments or feedback on this program, join us on facebook: http://co-nx.state.gov.
Q: [Bunju]: Dear Tererai Trent: In my opinion it’s most critical to change a way of believing in OWNERSHIP of properties, land, and materials. In many regions a woman will not have a right of inheriting a family good because a society does not view the right for her to do so. How do we change these views about ownership?
A [Tererai]: This is the most important issue that we have to deal with. I believe it takes education for societies to change cultural norms. Donor communities and those who work closely with our governments should ensure that social and economic policies are redefined and changed so that women can benefit as well. Dialogue between funding agencies and our government is very critical.
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): To see a video of Tererai on Oprah go to: http://www.oprah.com/media/20090925-tows_tererai-dream-education.
Felicia: Your advice is really good. You are a model for the world to show that people can overcome major problems to become a success.
Q: [Felicia]: Do you still have big dreams you haven't realized yet?
A [Tererai]: I have achieved all my personal dreams; however, I still dream to have all women and girls gaining education. I still want to see a shift in gender policies, in governments creating a positive environment for women. I also want to see my village improved and the school renovated.
Q: [ranen]: What about improvement of education of both India and Africa? Both are lagging behind.
A [Tererai]: Ranen, You are very right that both India and Africa need education, which can empower women, thereby positively affecting the society at large. I think you agree with me when I say education is a fundamental human right and that every human being in this world must be given an opportunity to education. I also strongly feel that governments and donor programs must pay particular attention to women and girls. Because of culturally entrenched gender disparities, women and girls are at a disadvantage, and yet, they are the backbones of most societies.
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): To learn more about vocational training in India for girls go to: http://www.america.gov/st/develop-english/2009/October/20091023184424berehellek0.8626062.html?CP.rss=true.
Q: [Bunju]: My next question for you: In many societies, marriage is made to be mandatory. If a girl is not married then the society will view that person as a negative. Once married the view is to make the girl only a ''servant''. Can you say that a ''wait before marriage'' approach can help girls to make better choices in life and to become more independent?
A [Tererai]: I love your point...This is very true. Girls should be given time for their education rather than marrying early. Here in the US, you find single girls as old as 25-30 years of age still pursuing their education. When they marry, they are in equal relationships, and they are more empowered and are able to make informed decisions. I think all girls should have that right. Though this is not true in all cases, most women in developed countries are much more empowered in many ways.
CO.NX Moderator (Kristin): To learn more about how education can help girls prevent early marriage go to: http://www.america.gov/multimedia/video.html?videoId=48449877001.
Q: [Samatha]: What would you change in your life if you could?
A [Tererai]: Make sure that women in both developed countries and developing countries have greater political power and hold higher positions. I also think there must be more research on HIV/AIDS; many women and young girls who are forced into marriage are become vulnerable to the disease.
Q: [Power to Women]: Has Zimbabwe become more progressive since you were a child or is it the same? Thank you.
A [Tererai]: Things have changed a lot. More women and girls are going to school; however, due to current political tensions, most of the gains (social/economic) are affecting women now. When I was young, it was common to find many illiterate women who would receive a letter from their husbands or boyfriends and fail to read it. In most cases they would take the letter and ask several other people in the community to read the letter to them just to confirm if they are hearing the truth. Can you imagine! This is still true in other places.
Q: [Jen 2]: What was it like transitioning from your village to the US? Have you been back to your village, and if so, what was it like?
A [Tererai]: The transition was difficult. I was nervous, and I missed my culture and food. Adjusting to a new language and people is always challenging; however, I had my buried dreams they kept me going. I have been to my village many times. The experience is beyond explanation. My village loves me, and I owe them a lot.
Q: [Felicia]: Do girls in America and Zimbabwe share any similarities? It doesn't seem like they would.
A [Tererai]: There are many similarities among girls all over the world; the difference is in the level and intensity of the challenges they face.
Tererai: Thanks everyone for joining the chat today. I truly enjoyed it and I have also learned from your questions. Please, let’s all become advocates for our communities and for ourselves. Don't forget to write your dreams and bury them! See you next time, Tererai
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): Thank you all for joining us today! Please visit our facebook page at http://co-nx.state.gov to leave comments and find out about upcoming webchats.
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): The webchat is now closed. We wish to thank Tererai Trent for joining us today. A transcript of today's webchat will be posted to http://co-nx.state.gov and to http://www.america.gov/multimedia/askamerica.html within three business days. Speakers are chosen for their expertise and may not reflect the views of the U.S. Department of State.
