What’s the first thing you think about when you hear the word “education”? Did the image of sitting in your 3rd grade classroom watching the teacher write your homework on the board come to mind? I bet most people in the US would think of a similar scenario. But the way education is passed down varies from culture to culture across the world.
I’m going to challenge you to think differently about the word education, so I wanted to start by talking about its importance in this week’s edition of theWeekend Word.
education
ˌejəˈkāSH(ə)n/
noun
- The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university.
- An enlightening experience.
While many of us instantly think of America’s traditional classroom when we hear the word education, that’s not the only way we provide instruction or enlightening experiences. There are plenty of community classes, online learning centers, e-readers, libraries, bookstores, and much more. If someone in America wanted to learn about a new topic, access to educational opportunities are endless.
For children living on the streets in Uganda, fighting for basic necessities such as food and shelter, their opportunities at an education are significantly limited. Many face the struggle of having to begging on the streets just to find their next meal, let alone the money to fund tuition. Even if they could make it to school, it’s hard to stay focused when they don’t have a home to go to at night or food in their bellies to keep their bodies operating at full speed. They face extreme challenges just to get a basic education, and without it their chances at a prosperous, self-sustaining future are much more limited.
A child without education is like a bird without wings. – Tibetan Proverb
At Hope for Hearts we believe that education is the key to lifting children up from poverty to prosperity. Not only do we fund tuition for traditional education, we provide a path for vocational educational opportunities for students. We eliminate other barriers affecting their ability to learn such as access to food and shelter. Students live on our campus and are provided with the resources needed to obtain a good education, along with counseling.
Confuscious once said “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”
As our students become confident, young adults armed with one of the most important tools they need to succeed in life – they have hope for a brighter, self-sustainable future. Student by student, Hope for Hearts and St. Elizabeth Academy are spreading peace throughout the world.
Peace, love and education,
Cristen
