TED Talk Tuesday #106: A girl who demanded school

Watching TED Talks is a popular pastime at CN&CO. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations. Each week we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. This week’s talk was posted by Neo Matsei. Here’s why she chose it:

This is an awe-inspiring and moving story of another fearless woman who went against the deadly power of patriarchy in her country.

Listening to her struggles and hardships reminded me of how fortunate I had been to be given an opportunity to education.

While in other parts of the world education is a privilege, in South Africa it is a right. And yet, we still have some children who are not in schools due to their various circumstances.

I am then inspired by the amazing work Kakenya and organisations such as Bokamoso Education Trust (of which CN&CO is proudly associated with) do. They not only recognise the problem, but become part of the solution. They understand that education brings freedom and opens a whole new world of opportunities and a chance to fulfil dreams.

Bokamoso Education Trust has been actively involved in helping secure a future of at least one child. The trust provides the necessary financial support through a crowd funding concept.

Kakenya points out how a group of men in her village came together to help raise funds towards her plane ticket to attend school in Virginia. Which goes to show that a community can take part in raising a child.

This is essentially how funds can be raised through Bokamoso. From as little as R200 a month, a donor can rally together 16 friends, each of whom contributes R200 a month via direct debit. Together, the 17 donors will help to educate one child. The total (R3 060 per month) pays for a child’s education.

When you impact one child, you impact a family and in the long run a community and country – reducing poverty, decreasing social inequalities, empowering and helping an individual reach his/her full potential.

May this TedTalk inspire you to be a part of the solution to change many futures. For more information, take a look at what you can do to make a difference through Bokamoso.