To the Jane's of the World

Tonight was one of the first nights I stopped to really think about moving to Malawi. I've been so busy recently with school and events that I really haven't given myself time to stop and really take in the fact that I am moving to Malawi in less than two months. As I thought about saying those heavy goodbyes at the airport, waiting for my flight to board, a few tears welled up in my eyes. However, after receiving lots of comforting words, and warm hugs from my boyfriend Tim, I began to feel a bit better about the reality I will soon face. 

I've mentioned before that there are times when I, like anyone, lose sight of the true meaning of why I am here and why I do what I do. Tonight after imagining the plane landing and facing an entirely new world I had another one of those moments of slight hesitation. And then I came home to my comfy bed and watched a video reminding myself again.

The young girl that Jacqueline Novogratz speaks about, Jane, is just one of the many stories I have heard that bring me back to the big picture. The fact that this girl only ever wanted to be a doctor, and to have a husband who would love her, is now HIV positive after years of being subjected to prostitution when her husband left her for another suddenly puts my fears into perspective. She is still a strong woman who loves her family and feels blessed to have what she has today. She is truly inspiring. 

The description of her living conditions and her life story told by Jacqueline just further highlights the inequality that is so prevalent across the globe today. She talks about the definition of poverty, which got me thinking about all of those lectures I've had on the term "poverty." Many times we tend to use the $1/day reference point, however, when Jane was making up to $4/day she was no longer considered to be living in extreme poverty. The reality is that Jane is still very poor, too poor even at the time to remove herself and her family from her current unsanitary, unsafe living situation. It's an interesting concept to think that we can judge a persons level of poverty simply based on the amount of money they make each day. There are far too many variables that factor into the equation to give this approach a holistic understanding of each individual's situation. 

It's sad that at times I have to hear these stories to really remind myself of the bigger picture, that I want to help empower and enable women like Jane to live the life they've always dreamed of. And as much as I'd like to help, it is really her courage and strength that empowers me.