Eunice Akoth grew up in one of the largest slums in Kenya, but her goals and aspirations have enabled her to use her story to empower her peers, according to Upworthy.
“Most of the kids in Kibera are raped, some are neglected by their parents, some are homeless,” Eunice said at the Women in the World Summit. “Most of them have dreams, but they don’t know how they can achieve them.”
Akoth attends the Kibera School for Girls, a grassroots educational opportunity putting a much-needed focus on girls, by allowing them to learn—free of charge, and pushing them to dream and work toward a brighter future. It’s the first of its kind in the area, and Eunice is an outstanding student.
You can tell she believes in
herself and in the power of opportunity from the passion filled video. She was even invited to speak in New York City at the 2015 Women in the World Summit, along with the founders of her school.At the summit, Eunice took the stage to deliver a poem that spoke directly to Kenyan girls, and eloquently expressed her life’s dream.
“I have a dream. A dream that will not fail, my present situation notwithstanding, its a mere passing cloud,†Eunice recited during her poem. “Every mighty king was once a crying baby, every great tree was once a tiny seed.â€
After delivering her heartfelt and inspiring poem, she sat down for an emotional panel discussion where she articulated why this event and her poem where so very important.
[Below: Listen to Eunice’s poem, and learn more about her story]