Girl Rising

After viewing the movie, Girl Rising, I was honestly speechless. I was aware of the subject area before viewing the film, but I had no idea the magnitude would be so great. As each story was told, I started to feel more and more helpless as I realized all of the unspeakable things that are going on in the world at this very moment. I sat there and thought how ridiculous it is that we complain about the tiniest of details every single day when there are people going through such immense troubles just to survive. The movie really did an amazing job of capturing the unspeakable events that are happening to women all around the world each and every day.


As I reflected on the movie, however, I decided that it was silly to feel helpless. Despite the fact that there are countless women being mistreated in the most unspeakable ways, I am not helpless. I can make a difference in the lives of the 17 students that walk into my classroom each and every day. More specifically, I can be a positive male figure for my 9 female students that may not have any males to look up to.  I believe that this movie truly shaped the way I will think about all of my students from this point forward.

I want to discuss 2 of my students that I thought of throughout the playing of this movie. The first student is a little girl that absolutely loves learning. She reminds me a lot of Wadley from the film. I know that she does not come from a very financially fortunate family, but you would never know it by speaking to her. She is such a positive person and loves everything about learning. Not to mention, English is her 2nd language. I believe that from a very young age she was taught the importance of education. She knew that in order to make a good life for herself, she needed to take her education seriously. As I speak with her, she is so much more culturally and socially aware than any other 5 year-old I've ever met. She realizes the importance of a good work-ethic and is not afraid to fail. For her, education does not simply mean waking up and going to school every day. It means making a life for herself, and that is a value that can not be replaced.

The other student that I thought of during the film is a girl that has an absolutely awful at-home life. Obviously it is not to the degree of the girls highlighted in the film, but I can't help but feel so terrible when I watch her smile diminish a little bit each day when the bell rings to go home. The school has stepped in to provide a lot of support where there used to be none, but her home-life is still very rough. This girl is definitely a fighter, though (in the positive form of the word). She is not going to let her home-life change the way she works. She needs an immense amount of attention while at school, which is understandable, given the details of her home-life. However, aside from occasionally talking a little bit too much, she never causes any trouble and truly loves to learn.

When I reflect on the movie as a whole, it is interesting to make certain connections from that inhumane lifestyle to our seemingly perfect life. It is important to be aware of what is going on the world but also remember that as much as it may seem, we are not helpless. We have a voice and can be the positive change for at least one person.