The strong will paves a fruitful way
A strong will always paves the fruitful way—and this is going beyond the saying that goes ‘where there is a will there is way’. If any will led to a way, am sure many of us would be speaking of different destinies. But this is subject for another day.
Obstacles in life are many, but dwelling on them will produce loads of excuses which can hinder progress.
Reading the First Lady Monica Chakwera’s cover story on pages seven and eight, one gets the sense that some hardships can be more bearable than others. One can argue that they may be facing more problematic situations than Chakwera. However, hurdles in my view may differ, but they will all interfere with progress in one way or the other.
The First Lady shares her story in the spirit of encouraging others, especially girls, to remain resilient in spite of obstacles. It also helps to shed light to parents and guardians on how best they can deal with situations. Walking 10 kilometres to and fro school, barefoot in the rain and cold as well as freezing in winter without a jersey are more than just a good read on a Sunday. Her experiences must serve as a blueprint of dealing with hardship to attain education.
Many girls blame orphanhood, unwanted pregnancies, forced marriages and even menstruation for their failure to attend or finish school. A mere lack of a snack is enough to skip classes for some children. Some rich children will complain about the condition of the car dropping them off to school, others may decide to skip classes when it’s too cold even with the availability of warm clothing. I have also heard some whining and complaining about not getting a gadget similar to their friends. They even threaten to quit school on such grounds.
The aim of the above instances is to highlight what others go through just to attain education. They overcome with determination. Anything is possible for those who believe in God. Those born with a silver spoon in their mouth must not take for granted what they have and waste their opportunities. There are others out there dying to have the life you are toying with.
If a girl delivers a baby too early, there is a way to continue with education and reclaim her future. If forced into marriage, there are interventions in place. Nothing must be excusable. Periods have been there even before non-governmental organisations (NGOs) started providing re-usable pads. Our parents managed to attain education and did not blame nature or mismanagement of periods to quit. So, why are periods becoming an issue now?
The First Lady fought all odds to be what she is. We all can. Nothing is impossible.
