It’s no surprise that mothers have a great impact on their children’s educational achievements. In the developing world, a mother’s level of education can determine her child’s chance of survival.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) recently found that nearly four million children are alive today because their mothers received an education.
In celebration of Mother’s Day this year, we’ve compiled a few stories of inspirational mothers who are determined to overcome extreme poverty, displacement, and insecurity - all to pursue an education.
#SheInspiresMe: Friba from Afghanistan
Friba (left) hopes her daughter Farial (right) and four other children will all finish their education.
“Uneducated women and girls are like the blind until they learn something.”
Being the passionate education activist that she is, Friba has high aspirations for her five children especially for her daughters. In a country like Afghanistan where girls’ education remains a challenge, Friba insists that they attend school and become successful. Her oldest son is already attending university, and her oldest daughter, who’s also a WfWI participant, has graduated from high school and is waiting on the results of her university entrance exams.
Read Friba's story, and learn how you can support mother's like Friba today!
#SheInspiresMe: Hassana from Nigeria
Hassana Rahama Abdullahi found a way to pay for her children's school fees by herself.
“Earning an income as a woman brings about big changes. Aside from being able to pay my children’s school fees, I am now able to feed them better, too. I can ensure that we eat more nourishing foods than we did before.”
Hassana was no longer satisfied with waiting for her husband to make the final decision on whether her children would go to school. Joining WfWI’s program and gaining vocational skills meant she didn’t need to anymore. Hassana recognized the importance of education, and she was adamant about her children attending school. So Hassana acquired new income generating skills to help her pay for school tuition, and they’re working. “Now I can pay their fees with my monthly training stipend, and I don’t have to worry about where I will find the money.”
#SheInspiresMe: Claudine from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
A WfWI participant with her child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo credit: Fjona Hill
“All I want from God is to open doors for me so I can get food for me and my children on a daily basis. I know that I should take courage because I survived a hard situation. Every day, I have to wake up and pray and say, “Thank you God, for I’m still alive. It was hard but now I’m here.”
Claudine had to put her childhood dreams of becoming a surgeon on hold when her father passed away while she was a young girl. And with her mother falling ill, Claudine had no choice but to drop school and take up a job to support the family. Looking for a way out, she married a man she believed was the love of her life. However, Claudine didn’t expect him to turn on her and desert her or her children.
But instead of breaking down and giving up, Claudine forged ahead and worked on a farm to provide for her children. It wasn’t easy, and for a long time, she could only send her two youngest to school. But Claudine was able to start over and overcome the obstacles once she enrolled in WfWI’s vocational skills training.
Read Claudine's story, and honor a woman in your life with a Mother's Day gift that supports mothers around the world.
#SheInspiresMe: Violeta from Kosovo
Violeta formed a handcrafts association with WfWI graduates, and her profits support her daughter's education.
“I am very happy that I managed to pay for my daughter’s college semester this year. This makes me so proud. […] I never thought that I would be able to pay for my children’s education.”
Before she joined WfWI’s program, Violeta had a hard time supporting her small children. Violeta now feels secure and empowered thanks to the income-generating skills she’s gained and her children are thankful to their mother.