Limited mastery of the English language, unfortunately, prevents me from fully communicating how deeply moved I am by Gemma's story - a story which I learned about at my Rotary meeting last week.
Where does a 22-year old Australian woman get the passion and commitment required to move more than 7,000 miles away from home, so that she can start a school for Tanzanian children from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds?
Where?
When I was 22, I was barely out of college and swooning over blond-haired, blue-eyed Stephen Diltz.
When Gemma Sisia was 22 she opened a small school (3 students) in northern Tanzania with the help of her family, friends and local (Australian) Rotary Club. Today, the School of St. Jude has 1151 students, 130 teachers and 200 staff. Her goal? "Fight Poverty Through Education." Educate smart, young people from the poorest local families so that they can find well-paid jobs and, in turn, help break their family's cycle of poverty.
Her bigger purpose? Educate future leaders to be agents for positive change in Tanzania.
What would the world be like if each of us got out of bed in the morning with a sense of purpose as deep as Gemma's - Fighting poverty through education!?!
We would probably leap out of bed, wouldn't we? Every minute would count and the enormity of our contribution would most certainly create a sense of urgency.
Heather oversees Judicial Affairs, among other things, at the university where she works. Maybe she would bound out of bed, knowing she is, "Redefining Citizenship by Holding Students Accountable."
Peggy makes cards that people can give as gifts. Maybe she would run to her craft room each morning ready to continue "Teaching Civility through the Simplicity of the Written Word."
Me? I write a blog post most days and what gets me out of bed? Knowing that I am, "Powering the Planet with Shine."
How about you? What do you think about when you get out of bed each morning? And, how might it change if you connected with your purpose in the same way Gemma connects with hers? Visit us in the Community Forum labeled, Today's Post and tell us.
Shining off until tomorrow...