Today, June 24, 2009, I met a man who has inspired me. Stanley L. Evans, the Associate Dean for Students at the University of Oklahoma’s Law School. Dean Evans served for 32 years in the U.S. army, retired at the rank of captain and, at the ripe age of 53, enrolled for his law degree and graduated in 2003.
He is the embodiment of a man who has lived his dream. “At 50, you are not too old to make something out of your life,” he said, “and at 20, 25 or 30, you are not too young either to make your dream come true.”
After the session was over, I lingered longest around him for in him I saw myself at 60! I saw myself having led a fulfilling life, achieved all that I set out to do and taking my turn to inspire a generation of young people with my story in the same manner that Evans did today.
Anyone who knows the everyday challenges that African people face will agree with me that to make something out of your life, you have to work twice as hard—successive governments almost always do not care, the teachers are underpaid, overworked and without morale, many schools are in a state of disrepair and struggle to do much with virtually nothing—if you are to make anything out of your life.
In Malawi, a country of 14 million people, we only have one major university where everyone struggles to get admission. Only the very lucky few make it to college.
So, here is my dream: (1) in a year from now, I should be done with graduate school and either heading back home to Malawi or getting into a PhD programme. I always get asked why I am eager to return to Malawi than stay here and my answer is that I am of much more use back home, helping my country, than I could ever be here. It is many people’s dream in Africa to come to the U.S. and as a result brain drain is such a huge problem. One example is that there are more medical doctors in the city of Manchester alone, in England, than there are in all of Malawi!
(2) In 10 years, I would have served as professor in the University of Malawi. One of my criticisms about the training that the school of journalism at my university offers is that it is not relevant to the needs of industry today as to render it redundant. I hope to help change that; my mission in this period would be to train as many quality Malawian journalists as possible.
(3) In 20 years, I would have retired from the university to run for public office as a Member of Parliament for my village. My village is one of the poorest in the country, with shocking illiteracy rates, high infant mortality, no roads, no electricity, no piped water, no clinics for many miles and no hope for the future. Elected officials are only interested in lining up their pockets. In 20 years, I will be representing this constituency and changing the face of local politics. In another 5 years after that, many of you will say this: “I know Idriss. He is a friend of mine. Oh my God, I can’t believe this. I went to school with him at OU!” By that time, I will be the President of the Republic of Malawi!
Thanks Dean Evans!
Idriss, your dreams and aspirations are absolutly amazing. I think it is awesome that you want to return to your country and help it to prosper.
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with the conditions in Malawi currently, but you have instilled a thurst within to learn more about it and other countries as well. Americans get so stuck in our own little world, we fail to realize just how much there is in this world.
I truly hope to see you make a difference and look foward to the day that I can say I went to school with you!
Best of luck in all your hopes and dreams.
Idriss, I loved reading your post. If anyone else in the class said they were going to be president of their country I would call B.S., not to their face of course, I’d just laugh at them behind their back. HAHA. Maybe it is my ignorance about your country, but I can believe you when you say this, and I do not know for sure if you are even serious. But that is not really the reason why I loved your post. I really appreciate the way you want to give back to a country that you love and that needs you. It reminds me of my wife who is the most left-leaning, liberal Republican that you could ever meet. She remains a Republican though because she says her party needs her now more than ever. And from your description of Malawi, it sounds like they need you and others like you in a bad way. I admire those few honest politicians who are truly public servants and give so much to their community. Politics is certainly not in my DNA.
ReplyDeleteI want to know more about your country and your story. How were you so lucky to be able to get an education? Will it be tough to get started on your dream when you go back home? What will the process be like? And did you really end up here because of Hanson? HAHA.
I cannot wait to tell my friends and family that I had classes with the President of Malawi and that he is actually a nice guy.
In Malawi for a long time, politics was the preserve of godfathers, some mendacious geriatrics who cared more for their own pockets than the welfare of the people. And again, with shocking illeteracy levels in the country, politics was never actually about issues, but people voted on the basis of tribes, religions, patronage. But we need issues, more than personalities should we help our country. I have a hard and long battle ahead.
ReplyDeleteBut its a shame that, 46 years after independence, Malawi is still one of the poorest countries in the world. It is something that should, and will, change.
And yes Andy, its the Hanson's tune (Hum-ba-hum-ba) that got me here!!
This person was a very powerful speaker. He made me sit back and reconsider what I was doing in my life. You are right, African Americans have to face many more problems on a daily basis then whites ever will. This makes me commend him even more for what he has done with his life. It is never too late to set goals in your life and achieve them. Look at you.... striving to be president of Malawi! Good for you! We all need to set goals like these. If we are passionate about something and want to see it change, then we alone are the only people that can do something about it. If we do not, and just sit back and let the problem worsen, then nothing will ever come of a situation.
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