Habiba was fortunate to be one of the few girls in the village of Kolkana to receive a scholarship that covered both her high school and college education. Becoming one of the awardees out of 1,000 girls was no easy task, but as a smart and hardworking girl, she passed the placement test and made it to the final round with three other girls from her community. The scholarship program was a nationwide program with the sole purpose of helping 300 girls attend school. Habiba loved everything about education, and her dream was to become a teacher who would impact the lives of young children by opening their eyes to the many benefits of education and the opportunities it brings.
Through her education, she understood what a privilege she had, and that spurred her to work to build a community school in her village where she and the other three scholarship recipients would teach children the basics while preparing them for opportunities like the one that had set her on the path to her dream. She wanted the other children to have the same opportunities as she had because that would put them in a better position in life.
The importance of education cannot be overstated, as it has opened doors and created opportunities for members of society who would otherwise be stuck in the dark world of illiteracy away from global progress, but with education, less privileged members of society can take advantage of opportunities and have a better position in life.
The adage “educate a woman and educate a nation” has never been more true. The case of Habiba shows that a single educated woman is enough to move a community up the relevance scale. When women are represented in influential positions, it will certainly strengthen the community’s position and also contribute to the development of its economy. Education opens doors for innovation, and innovation is the foundation for change and success.