Olivia Apps
Olivia Apps is a young volunteer with Machik in Canada. She attended the 2012 Machik Weekend in Washington DC and had these thoughts to share.
Sunday, 4 November 2012, Washington DC
My involvement with Machik began at end of my eighth grade. I had heard about Machik through family friends and became interested after going to the annual dinner in Lindsay. There I saw the beautiful things that Amala (Tsering Dolkar Rabgey) had made through the course of the year, and decided to have a fundraiser to sell these at school and to create awareness about the Chungba school. Through my involvement in the fundraiser and over the summer with Machik events, I have changed. Doing small things to help others has given me the courage to try
“Education delivers knowledge, and knowledge is power; the power to change your life and change the world.”
doing bigger and better things. It also helped me realize the importance of education towards women’s empowerment. I wanted my classmates to appreciate and comprehend the advantage our education has provided us and understand the action we have to take now to provide this right to others. This realization has increased my interest in Machik and involvement in raising awareness.
For oppressed women around the world, education can mean freedom. Education frees us from ignorance, fear, poverty, powerlessness, and helplessness. Education delivers knowledge, and knowledge is power; the power to change your life and change the world. Access to education is a fundamental piece of the human rights puzzle. In Canada 99% of adults are literate, while the literacy rate in Tibet is drastically lower. Despite this, Tibetans, particularly women, are eager for an education. The fight for women’s right to education takes courage.
The inspirational story of Malala Yousefzai, the courageous girl from Pakistan, who spoke out for girls’ education and was targeted for her beliefs in girls empowerment is an example to us all. She was victimized for her courage, but has become a heroine for the cause she fights for.
Education is something we often take for granted here. The struggle for universal access to education is essential to building a fair and globally productive society. If we plan to change the world for the better, we need courage and Machik is a good place to start.
Sunday, 4 November 2012, Washington DC
My involvement with Machik began at end of my eighth grade. I had heard about Machik through family friends and became interested after going to the annual dinner in Lindsay. There I saw the beautiful things that Amala (Tsering Dolkar Rabgey) had made through the course of the year, and decided to have a fundraiser to sell these at school and to create awareness about the Chungba school. Through my involvement in the fundraiser and over the summer with Machik events, I have changed. Doing small things to help others has given me the courage to try
“Education delivers knowledge, and knowledge is power; the power to change your life and change the world.”
doing bigger and better things. It also helped me realize the importance of education towards women’s empowerment. I wanted my classmates to appreciate and comprehend the advantage our education has provided us and understand the action we have to take now to provide this right to others. This realization has increased my interest in Machik and involvement in raising awareness.
For oppressed women around the world, education can mean freedom. Education frees us from ignorance, fear, poverty, powerlessness, and helplessness. Education delivers knowledge, and knowledge is power; the power to change your life and change the world. Access to education is a fundamental piece of the human rights puzzle. In Canada 99% of adults are literate, while the literacy rate in Tibet is drastically lower. Despite this, Tibetans, particularly women, are eager for an education. The fight for women’s right to education takes courage.
The inspirational story of Malala Yousefzai, the courageous girl from Pakistan, who spoke out for girls’ education and was targeted for her beliefs in girls empowerment is an example to us all. She was victimized for her courage, but has become a heroine for the cause she fights for.
Education is something we often take for granted here. The struggle for universal access to education is essential to building a fair and globally productive society. If we plan to change the world for the better, we need courage and Machik is a good place to start.