Aug 15, 2016
Strong and fearless.
That's the impression I gained from Edith.
Edith is a Ugandan woman who arrived in Australia as a refugee. She has lectured at university and worked for the United Nations. She comes from a line of strong, fearless women.
Edith has faced some tough decisions - to leave her young children in Uganda while she went to Europe for two years to study a Masters degree. She decided that carving a safer future for them was the wiser choice. But imagine the doubt and anguish of two years on another continent from your babies.
When I say fearless, I don't mean that Edith experiences no fear. I bet she's had a good share of fear in her life.
But I don't get the impression that fear has defined her. She appears to wear her struggles lightly.
She's fought for justice for the death of her brother, and not found justice. She's had to take her children and seek refuge in Australia, once again making a hard choice to create a safer future for them.
Edith's story, that portion of it narrated here, is a full episode in itself.
To hear her articulate what it is that she values - and what a fascinating narrative it is to hear what such a remarkable woman prizes - you will have to return for Part 2 of I Will Do Whatever I Can. Don't miss that episode.
By the way, her daughter is also strong and fearless. And safe.