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A Moment with Mary-Ann: Perspective is a Privilege

Hi guys – I am back!

It’s been a little while since we had a moment with Mary-Ann but I am so grateful to be back and more so that Rafiki Thabo welcomed me so open heartedly. I am pretty sure I told the team I was going away for 6 months! A year and a half later here I am…I think they have forgiven me… I think! 

So, where do I start?

I will start with my last blog! August 2024 titled “A life worth coming back to”. It was all about going away travelling with my husband Jack and the aim was to come back to the life we had spent so many years creating for ourselves. We thought we knew who we were when we left and what we wanted to achieve but a lot changed, and most importantly, we changed!

So, where have I been?

Well, my husband and I travelled around South East Asia for 8 months and ended up moving to Singapore.

How did that happen? 

Well while we were backpacking we were just visitors. We were tourists and were treated as such. Being a visitor to someone else’s home is always a very different experience from actually living there. The red carpet is usually rolled out, all the rubbish is usually pushed into the cupboard or hidden, it’s only when you have lived there for a while that you get to really experience ‘real life’. So, after being non-stop visitors on our travels, we didn’t feel like we were ready to return to the versions of ourselves we left behind. That would have meant never knowing what a foreign place is really like and our perception of the world would have remained that of a holiday-maker… So, how else can you do that apart from immersing yourself into a different culture!

Why Singapore? 

Because that’s where I got a job! That’s the simple truth – no elaborate tale of discovery or serendipity. They valued my experience and education and that’s all it took… I’ve said it before, and I will say it again – opportunities and doors open because of my education and I am very grateful.

So back to the 8 month trip, what did I learn? 

 First of all, I have to mention it is such a massive privilege to have the opportunity to travel. But it took a lot  of commitment – we worked hard and saved for over 5 years to make it possible. One time I explained this to a lovely tour guide from a small town in Cambodia. Somehow I felt the need to justify why I was there, but he replied, “I could work my whole life saving and never get the chance to travel the world…”

There were other moments on our trip when people asked how we did it, and each time it truly humbled me and highlighted what I have as an educated person living in a safe country with opportunities, a great job and a strong currency. I know I keep banging this drum but truly it was at the forefront of my mind, especially after getting involved with Rakifi Thabo.

Perspective, I’ve mentioned that word a few times now. But, what actually was my perspective of the world before I went away?
I knew the statistics, I knew the impact and I knew the world needed more education. But while walking among it, you couldn’t not feel the physical weight of it. I realised in so many instances how education shapes how people see themselves and how it impacts what they understand to be possible. It affects how they communicate, how they guide their children, their communities, opportunities, government, their perception of the things around them, and crucially, how much they are willing to be part of the change. 

What is my perception now? 

To help with this,I thought I’d list the three biggest things I learnt from being away so long. 

1. Language and communication – I never noticed how fundamentally easy it is for me to express myself. Simply finding the words to describe, negotiate, and ask for help. On countless occasions, I thought people were a bit shy, scared or even rude, but suddenly I realised, it wasn’t simply because they didn’t speak english or didn’t like foreigners, even when we had a translator or guide, often they lacked the confidence to engage. Without the right words, it can be hard to advocate for yourself. It limits your voice. They’re the tools your brain uses, and only education gives you those tools. Without them, people aren’t less intelligent, they’re just less equipped. 
2. Confidence – I thought confidence came from within. I had always been told, ‘you just need to believe in yourself’. But I have now literally felt my own confidence grow as a result of gaining new experiences and knowledge. I have realised that learning and curiosity broadens and deepens your own reality. I feel like I can hold my own in many more situations than I once could, and this is what helps build my inner confidence. Put simply, now I have less unknowns and fears. My understanding of what is all around me is greater, and that is what is so powerful about learning and education. Education gives children the confidence to be greater than they realise they can be. 
3. Pollution and sustainability – This was the biggest shock for me, and it boils down to how knowledge changes the behaviour of entire populations. In the UK we learn the impact of pollution, and why certain rules exist – ‘recycle’, don’t litter’, etc. These things impact us all, and most of us fight for it. But in order for a positive impact, everyone needs to be on board… Even in well educated places like the UK, this message isn’t fully heard. But take my word for it when I say that other places struggle considerably more. Protecting and guarding our environment is everyone’s job, but to do so requires an understanding and the facilities to make it happen. The UK may struggle with fly-tipping or fumy air in the cities, but other countries, like Laos, deal with unbreathable air every year during ‘burning season’. This kind of thing can’t and won’t stop until people understand why we need to do it and are able to create the change.

Looking back and thinking about our trip, I think that overall I realise that seeing the world doesn’t make you worldly or cultured, it just makes you realise just how much you don’t know. It turns out I knew literally nothing about the history and lives of other countries, and it highlighted how sheltered my mind really was. No matter what we see on the news or on instagram, we cannot truly relate to or understand the lives of people in places like Cambodia or Lesotho. Nor can they understand or relate to the lives of people in other countries. We all see the world through the lens of what we’ve lived, which is to be expected and normal of course, but it means that we are not really able to see outside ourselves. Which is important to appreciate, because when charities ask us to donate or support something we have never seen, felt, or experienced, it’s actually a really hard task! 

The founders of Rafiki Thabo saw something when they travelled to Uganda, Lesotho and Kenya that needed action and built a movement around it. Now I’ve seen it too in other places and am reporting back… It is true – educating people is the unlock that will lead to positive change in the world.

Not all of us will have the opportunity to see the world and the deep set needs, so all I can do is ask that you believe in those who have seen. We are not asking for a perfect understanding, or complete empathy, just trust and the willingness to believe in Rafiki Thabo’s message.

Before I left, I liked to think that I already truly knew that education was fundamental for young people and communities globally. But now I realise it is more than that – it is freedom for people. It’s the opportunity to live life how you want to and without it people are trapped in a world they cannot change. My education has meant that I have been able to be the captain of my own ship, and now I find myself in Singapore. I am one of the lucky ones, but we can make this a reality for more if we work together and prioritise something that is truly so fundamental in achieving what every single person on this planet deserves, an education. 

With love and gratitude,

Mary-Ann x