You did what from where?

“Dad, it is a lot different in Cameroon than in America.” Upon my arrival, I decided to wash up to get ready for working on the farm. As I went to the shower, there was no dial where I could change the temperature. I shrugged and allowed icy water to spray on me unknowingly. The idea that only icy water flowed through embraced me coldly with humility. It made me realize how much I have in the United States.

I was the only person in my family born in America. In September 2001, I was born in Boston, Massachusetts with rights and liberty entitled to my origin. 17 years later, I feel these rights were privileges to a fortunate few. When visiting Africa, I was able to sit inside a classroom and experience the outmoded board that had remnants of white chalk. In my high school, a smart board could be found everywhere. Yet what should be even more astonishing is that these kids are learning at the same pace, if not better than kids in America. In Cameroon, my parents grew up in a French-speaking region. Their requirements to graduate and leave the rural life imposed upon them was to pass “Le Bac” and attend a prominent university. They did it and left behind a past that would have proved difficult for me and my siblings, but they have not wavered in teaching us about the culture.

Evidently, not everything the media posts is true about Africa. In Cameroon, there are iPhones and Samsungs, there is wifi ( called we-fee), there is a local burger joint, and there are hotels such as Hilton. But these luxuries are peppered in society and require those to be making near the top 5% to even indulge in these activities annually. This ideology can also be found in America with the gap between the upper and lower class widening. Why is something so “far fetch” such as luxury only permitted to a select few? Education. I believe America should begin upon the pedestal both W.E.B Dubois and Booker T.Washington had established. It was the idea that those who were given the ability to excel academically should do so, but to not forget about the importance of vocational skill. They did not allow education in America to become a limiting factor in one’s life, but instead a benefactor. Today we must understand three concepts: Resources are limited, education is valued, and liberties and Rights are curtailed. But living can be extended through one’s life. And this is solely due to education and experience granted since birth.

-Gabriela Nguena Jones, CEO/ Founder of Teens Tutor Teens