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Faces of the Future: Mebrahte Berau
On October 10, the imagine1day team headed out to Wazza Grade 1-8 Community School to spend the day with Mebrahte, a fresh-faced, 14-year-old Grade 7 student, who was our chosen muse for our One Day on Earth documentary film.
We were expecting big things from Mebrahte and we had no idea what we were really in for. In the end, she was absolutely astounding. Over a solid lunch of injera (Ethiopian flatbread) and pumpkin stew we talked about pressure to get married, what her parents think about her being in school, and what she dreams about for her future…
i1d: Mebrahte, let’s dig in: your mom told me she tries in vain to marry you to a man. Tell us a bit more about that.
M: It’s true. When I was 12-years-old my parents offered to have me married to a man. I refused – I was just a child and I still am! Marriage at such a young age causes so many problems. What I don’t understand is how a girl who is married young and falls pregnant can think that she, as just a child, can now take care of another child. It is not good. So I said no. They still try to marry me often but I say no. No every time.
i1d: How do you stand up to your parents’ pressure so often? That takes incredible courage.
M: I am stubborn and I know what I want. I see something better for my life and I will not give up trying to get there.
i1d: What do you see in your future?
M: I want to be the Vice-Prime Minister of Ethiopia. No, no, I want to be the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. I want to be the first woman in such a leadership position. Filming this project today with you has really gotten me thinking. It has made me dream bigger because I realized that people believe in me – so why shouldn’t I believe in myself?
i1d: We believe in you. Even more so because spending the day with you has made us really realize how many challenges you need to overcome to go to school. Can you explain a few to us?
M: One big one is that my parents do not encourage me to go to school. They are more proud of my siblings who did not go to school, who are illiterate and who were married early and are now raising babies, tending crops and taking care of my parents. They do not feel like they can see the change in me because of my education and until they do they say they will not be supportive. They do let me go, though. But even today, I missed chores to be with you and will get up earlier and will arrive late to school because I must do these tasks before I can study.
i1d: They may not see changes in you but your teachers and peers see radical transformation. What changes do you see in yourself?
M: I know that I have become much more confident. I never would have stood in front of people before and I wouldn’t have talked like this to you either. But because I have been given a chance to lead at school, in class and in activities like sports and Girls’ Club, I feel more comfortable to speak what I think and to be myself.
i1d: What are some ways in which you have helped to change and inspire other people?
M: Our Girls’ Club does lots of performances about the different things that stop girls from going to school. If we share these issues then maybe more people will understand and it will not happen as often. Once our Girls’ Club also went to each house in Wazza and helped them dig pit-latrines to help teach them about healthy hygiene at home.
Like we said – astounding, right?
Girls’ education is quite possibly the most important issue being addressed today. As you can tell from our conversation with Mebrahte, when you educate a girl you really do educate an entire community.
UPDATE: For our One Day On Earth, we filmed an average day in Mebrahte’s life to show. You can now watch the video here.
To learn more about the awesome One Day on Earth documentary project we were involved with, check out www.onedayonearth.org.
