Leadership Institute for Girls

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, And if you dare to dream of meeting Your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool For love, for your dream, For the adventure of being alive. It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, If you have been opened by life’s betrayals, Or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, Mine or your own, Without moving To hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, Mine or your own, If you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes Without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint an...

I have not moved an inch. It's been busy -  between my studies and office work. And. Believe me when I say not a day goes by without me thinking about this dream. I whisper a prayer throughout the day for this dream. I dream about this dream at night. Until next time, let's never stop dreaming and believing in our dreams. Here is to every girl who will receive education to empower her community.

"Every girl should be empowered to create her own future" Melinda Gates

I dare you to live out your God-given dream I dare you to dance in the rain In every season I dare you I dare you to live out loud To love fearlessly To give without reservations I dare you To give I dare you To sing I dare you To dance I dare you To live I dare you to live out your God-given talent If it's your passion to create go ahead and dare to do so I dare you To create I dare you To scream I dare you To laugh I dare you To write I dare you To run I dare you To cry I dare you To be you I dare you To ask I dare you To speak I dare you To stand Sis, I dare you To know who YOU are Know who you are Know who you are Know who you are created to be Know your destiny Know your purpose Know your dream Know who God is I dare you ©Petunia

Dear Petunia, It’s been a little over 15 years since you celebrated your 15 th birthday. You may not remember much of your teen years as you made a vow to block most of that out. You always felt left behind and never wanted to be part of anything.   You had serious issues with your body and as result had a very low self-esteem.   You covered well your low self-esteem with your loud squeaky voice, always seeking attention.   You were most of the time misunderstood and a laughing stock of your peers.   You never talked about your emotions to anyone.   You never cried at  least not in public.   You never complained.   You will not even tell anyone if you were sick. You had inquisitive mind and always asking questions.   You always said the wrong things at wrong time.   You never wanted to upset anyone but you were always in trouble with the ‘law’. You got easily lost in a good story book. Reading for long hours made you the hap...

As I journey into and through this dream of reaching out to girls in my community – I realize it’s a huge dream.   This dream involves real issues, real people and real life – it’s that big. Some days I am more than ready to dive in and reach out in every possible ways.   And, some days I am really petrified – the kind that leaves you paralysed. Today, I had an honour and privilege to meet with one of the girls am intending to mentor.  Her name is Alinah and she is the sweetest girl.  We laughed and talked like we’ve known each other for a very long time. The next thing I know, she starts crying, right in the middle of our conversation.  Prior to our meeting I expected anything to happen but I did not expect her to get emotionally overwhelmed.  It was our first meeting and we had ice cream and talked about school. Without going into details of Alinah’s emotional reaction, once again, I’m convinced that we can be the change we wish to see in the world....

The more I think about my dream of reaching out and making a difference – the more I realise every single step counts.  A journey of thousands miles begins with a single step.  On my own I won’t change the world but I can do one thing to make it better for me and for you. It is indeed true – we cannot change everything but each one of us can change something.  What if we all did one thing that burns deep into our hearts. I’m convinced that each and every one of us has a dream. When I worked for my local newspaper as a photojournalist – one winter morning I sit outside few blocks from my office.  I was outside in the cold for few hours having a chat with two street kids. These two boys shared with me their dreams; chances of them achieving those dreams are very slim.  Regardless of their circumstances they still had dreams to become medical doctors.  I walked away that day and to this day I still believe each and every one of us has a dre...