From zero to hero
Last summer my niece Christy, who lives in Bandung - Indonesia, graduated from primary school. She asked me if I would come to the ceremony. Of course, I was proud of my niece she graduated and l liked to go to the ceremony.
The school was nearby and together with her brothers, mother and my wife we went early to her school. The ceremony would be formal: all children formally dressed, a big speech, singing. I was looking forward to it.
Around 10 o'clock the ceremony started and the director of the school started his speech "From zero to hero". And I was impressed and touched about it.
"Every child starts at zero and by good education, hard work you can be hero. You can become everything you want! Just like Abraham Lincoln. He was born poor and lived in a small houses and after hard work he became president!
So children, do your best and study hard and you can become what you want!!!"
This kind of spirit I really like and I notice that this kind of spirit lives in a lot of families in Indonesia. Education is very important, ofcourse if you have good education you have a chance of a better live!! Parents from Sumatra send their children to Java (Bandung) for studying. to give their children a better future!
And sometimes in the West I have the feeling it is the other way around : "From hero to zero". Children are born with all the possiblities of a good future but not taking education seriously.
In the end we can learn from development countries and we have to realize that education is very important!! So that's a good reason to support Room to Read!
