“I’m studying human rights. It’s a long way off, but one day...

“I’m studying human rights.  It’s a long way off, but one day I’d like to be a lawyer and protect vulnerable populations in Africa.  My mother is African but I grew up in France.  In high school I went on a humanitarian mission to provide health and education for a village in Senegal.  There was no water.  There was no electricity.  We visited a small orphanage where the children had to beg for their food every day.  They had no choice, because if they came back with nothing, they didn’t eat.  I cried myself to sleep that night.  And when I returned to France, I felt guilty for everything: for living where I live, for having a family, for growing up in a rich country with education and healthcare.  I didn’t tell many people about my experience.  I didn’t want it to seem like a trophy.  And I was aware of the irony because France colonized Senegal.  But that trip opened my eyes to the opportunities I’d been taking for granted.  It made me appreciate the choices that I have in life.  And since those choices are a privilege, I want to use them to help other people.”
(Johannesburg, South Africa)