KUALA LUMPUR: It is worth bringing up and investing in the education of girls, many of whom have discovered breakthroughs and found solutions to issues on the environment, world hunger and poverty.
It could very well lie in the minds of girls, but with 98 million of them around the world deprived of basic education due to inaccessibility or cultural hindrances, it is important to invest in groups which are making inroads to resolve these disputes, said former US First Lady Michelle Obama.
“What if the answer to everything we have been struggling with; what if the solution is in the mind of the girl who was riding a bike in rural Vietnam, and we don’t invest in that ... this is how we should think about it.
“Truth and right do not just come from the minds of the male, it comes from all of us,“ she said at the plenary session organised by the Obama Foundation during its Leaders: Asia Pacific Programme.
World-renowned actress Julia Roberts chimed in, saying that her trip to Vietnam was inspiring to her especially, as she listened to testimonies of some of the girls who, because of education, were able to live a different lives.
“The plight of educating girls isn’t a sad tragic thing, and that’s what I want to be a part of. I was in selfish tears because this one girl was telling me what she’d gone through and what she accomplished. It is absolutely proof, that community, education, love and belief in one’s self can make this happen, and we need to keep reminding each other of that and move forward,“ she said.
While up on the podium, Michelle also spoke about hearing a child’s voice and reaffirming that voice, which is more important than providing children with material solutions.
“It’s a lesson I learned from growing up with my parents. We were not wealthy, but what they gave me was a sense of belief, that they were interested in my voice ... And telling a kid that they are valuable can make a difference.
“Teaching an individual early in life how to use their voice is to take that moment and let that important person know that you can see them and that they’re beautiful. So words actually matter, it’s how you cultivate the soul of a child,“ she said.
Michelle also added that role models need not be world famous personalities.
“They could be parents and teachers ... ordinary people are enough,” she said.
