Why I fight for the education of refugee girls (like me) | Mary Maker

翻译人员: Ziyun Liao 校对人员: Carol Wang

We do not choose where to be born.

我们无法选择在哪儿出生，

We do not choose who our parents are.

也无法选择父母，

But we do choose how we are going to live our lives.

但是我们却可以选择如何生活。

I did not choose to be born in South Sudan,

我不曾选择出生在南苏丹，

a country rife with conflict.

一个充满着冲突的国家，

I did not choose my name --

我也不曾选择自己的名字，

Nyiriak,

伊妮娅克，

which means "war."

意思是“战争”。

I've always rejected it

我一直很讨厌这个名字，

and all the legacy it was born into.

和这个名称所带来的一切苦痛。

I choose to be called Mary.

所以我选择改名为玛丽。

As a teacher, I've stood in front of 120 students,

作为一名老师， 我曾站在120名学生面前授课，

so this stage does not intimidate me.

所以这个舞台吓不倒我。

My students come from war-torn countries.

学生们来自饱受战争蹂躏的国家，

They're so different from each other,

他们虽然各不相同，

but they have one thing in common:

却有着一个共同点，

they fled their homes in order to stay alive.

为了活命，背井离乡。

Some of them belong to parents back home in South Sudan

他们中的有些父母， 正在南苏丹的家里，

who are killing each other

相互厮杀，

because they belong to a different tribe or they have a different belief.

因为他们属于不同部落， 有不同的信仰。

Others come from other African countries devastated by war.

还有一些学生， 来自那些被战争摧毁的非洲国家，

But when they enter my class, they make friends,

但是当他们进入教室， 就成为了彼此的朋友，

they walk home together,

一起回家，

they do their homework together.

一起做作业。

There is no hatred allowed in my class.

我不许任何仇恨在我的教室里滋长。

My story is like that of so many other refugees.

我的故事和许多其他难民的一样，

The war came when I was still a baby.

战争爆发时，我还是襁褓中的婴儿，

And my father,

而我父亲，

who had been absent in most of my early childhood,

那个几乎缺席了 我整个幼儿时期的父亲，

was doing what other men were doing:

和其他男人一样，

fighting for the country.

为我们的祖国浴血奋战。

He had two wives and many children.

他有两个妻子，和许多孩子，

My mother was his second wife,

我的母亲是他的第二任妻子，

married to him at the age of 16.

嫁给他的时候年仅16岁，

This is simply because my mother came from a poor background,

仅仅只是因为她出身贫寒，

and she had no choice.

所以别无选择。

My father, on the other hand, was rich.

另一方面，我的父亲很富有，

He had many cows.

还有许多头牛。

Gunshots were the order of the day.

枪林弹雨是家常便饭，

My community was constantly under attack.

因为我们的村庄经常受到袭击，

Communities would fight each other as they took water along the Nile.

为了争夺在尼罗河边取水而 常常爆发冲突，

But that was not all.

但还不止如此，

Planes would drop the spinning and terrifying bombs

飞机在我们上空盘旋， 投下骇人的炸弹，

that chopped off people's limbs.

瞬间就炸断人的肢体。

But the most terrifying thing for every single parent

但对每一位家长来说， 最可怕的事情是，

was to see their children being abducted and turned into young soldiers.

看到他们的孩子被绑架， 然后训练成年轻的战士。

My mother dug a trench

我的母亲挖了一条战壕，

that soon became our home.

那很快成了我们的家。

But yet, we did not feel protected.

但我们还是觉得很危险，

She had to flee in search of a safe place for us.

所以她不得不四处奔走， 为我们找安全的落脚点。

I was four years old, and my younger sister was two.

我当时四岁，妹妹才两岁，

We joined a huge mass of people,

我们就跟着一大群人走，

and together we walked for many agonizing days

走了好多天，痛苦不堪，

in search of a secure place.

就为了寻找一个安全的地方。

But we could barely rest

可是我们几乎不能休息，

before we were attacked again.

生怕被再被袭击。

I remember my mother was pregnant,

我记得母亲当时有孕在身，

when she would take turns to carry me and my younger sister.

还要轮流抱着我和我妹妹。

We finally made it across the Kenyan border, yes.

最有，我们越过了 肯尼亚边界，谢天谢地。

But that was the longest journey that I have ever had in my whole life.

但那是我一辈子走过最长的路，

My feet were raw with blisters.

我的双脚磨起了水泡。

To our surprise,

但出乎意料的是，

we found other family members who had fled into the camp earlier on,

我们找到了早些时候 逃到难民营其他家人，

where you all are today,

就是今天你们所在的难民营，

the Kakuma camp.

卡库马难民营。

Now, I want you all to be very quiet just for a moment.

现在，我想请大家 保持安静，就一会。

Do you hear that?

大家听到了吗？

The sound of silence.

是寂静的声音，

No gunshots.

没有枪响，

Peace, at last.

平静，终于到来了。

That was my first memory of this camp.

那就是我对这个 难民营最初的记忆。

When you move from a war zone

当你离开交战区，

and come to a secure place like Kakuma,

来到了像卡库马这样安全的地方，

you've really gone far.

真的是一段很远的距离。

I only stayed in the camp for three years, though.

虽然，我只在难民营里呆了三年，

My father, who had been absent in most of my early childhood,

我的父亲，那个几乎缺席了 我整个幼儿时代的父亲，

came back into my life.

回到了我的身边，

And he organized for me to move with my uncle

安排我跟我的叔叔一起，

to our family in Nakuru.

搬到我们在纳库鲁的家。

There, I found my father's first wife,

在那里，我见到了 父亲的第一任妻子，

my half sisters and my half brothers.

和同父异母的姐妹和兄弟，

I got enrolled in school.

还上学了

I remember my first day in school -- I could sing and laugh again --

我记得我上学的第一天 —— 我又能唱又能笑了——

and my first set of school uniforms, you bet.

我的第一套校服， 你们猜怎么着？

It was amazing.

美呆了。

But then I came to realize

但我渐渐意识到，

that my uncle did not find it fit for me to go to school,

叔叔认为我不太适合上学，

simply because I was a girl.

就因为我是女孩。

My half brothers were his first priority.

我同父异母的兄弟， 才是他优先考虑的对象。

He would say, "Educating a girl is a waste of time."

他说：“女孩受教育 简直就是浪费时间。”

And for that reason, I missed many days of school,

正因如此，我落了很多天的课程，

because the fees were not paid.

因为没有交学费。

My father stepped in

我的父亲插手了这件事，

and organized for me to go to boarding school.

安排我去一所寄宿学校就读。

I remember the faith that he put in me over the couple of years to come.

还记得父亲那几年给我的信念

He would say, "Education is an animal that you have to overcome.

他说，“教育是你必须得驯化的动物，

With an education, you can survive.

只有教育，能让你生存下去，

Education shall be your first husband."

教育会是你的第一任丈夫。”

And with these words came in his first big investment.

说完这些话，（他为我） 投了第一笔巨资，

I felt lucky!

我真的好幸运。

But I was missing something:

但我真的好想念一个人：

my mother.

我的母亲。

My mother had been left behind in the camp,

我的母亲被留在了难民营，

and I had not seen her since I left it.

离开后我一直没能再看到她。

Six years without seeing her was really long.

六年都看不到她， 真的是很长时间。

I was alone,

我只身一人，

in school,

在学校里，

when I heard of her death.

当我听到她死讯的时候。

I've seen many people back in South Sudan

在南苏丹的时候， 我目睹了很多人

lose their lives.

失去了他们的性命。

I've heard from neighbors

我也从邻居的口中，

lose their sons, their husbands,

听到他们说失去儿子、丈夫、，

their children.

失去孩子，

But I never thought that that would ever come into my life.

但我从来没有想过这事 会发生在我身上。

A month earlier, my stepmother,

一个月以前，

who had been so good to me back in Nakuru, died first.

我在纳库鲁对我特别好的继母 是家里第一个死去的人。

Then I came to realize that after giving birth to four girls,

然后我意识到， 在生完我们四个女孩后，

my mother had finally given birth to something

我的母亲最终生出了

that could have made her be accepted into the community --

一个让她最终被那个社会所接纳的

a baby boy,

男婴，

my baby brother.

我的小弟弟。

But he, too,

但是他，

joined the list of the dead.

也死了。

The most hurting part for me

令我最痛心的是，

was the fact that I wasn't able to attend my mother's burial.

我甚至不能参加我母亲的葬礼，

I wasn't allowed.

因为不允许我参加。

They said her family did not find it fit

他们说，妈妈生的都是女孩，

for her children, who are all girls, to attend her burial,

女孩不适合参加她的葬礼，

simply because we were girls.

仅仅因为我们是女孩。

They would lament to me and say,

他们沉痛地对我说，

"We are sorry, Mary, for your loss.

“玛丽， 你母亲的离世我们深感遗憾，

We are sorry that your parents never left behind any children."

很遗憾你们父母没留下后代。”

And I would wonder:

于是我就在想，

What are we?

那我们算什么？

Are we not children?

我们难道就不是她的孩子吗？

In the mentality of my community,

在我们社会里 人们有这样一种心态，

only the boy child counted.

只有男孩才算数。

And for that reason, I knew this was the end of me.

而正是因为这个理由， 我知道我于他们毫无意义。

But I was the eldest girl.

但作为最年长的女孩，

I had to take care of my siblings.

我必须承担起照顾妹妹的责任，

I had to ensure they went to school.

我必须确保她们可以上学。

I was 13 years old.

那年我才13岁，

How could I have made that happen?

我怎么可能做到这一切啊？

I came back to the camp to take care of my siblings.

我回到难民营去照顾我的妹妹，

I've never felt so stuck.

我从来没感到这么无助过。

But then, one of my aunts, Auntie Okoi,

但幸好我的一个阿姨，奥可伊，

decided to take my sisters.

决定收留我妹妹，

My father sent me money from Juba for me to go back to school.

我的父亲才又从朱巴给我打钱， 让我得以重新回到校园。

Boarding school was heaven, but it was also so hard.

寄宿学校就像天堂一般， 但同样也很煎熬。

I remember during the visiting days when parents would come to school,

我记得在访问日， 家长们会来学校看望孩子们，

但我的父亲却总是不在。

and my father would miss.

But when he did come,

当他真的来了，

he repeated the same faith in me.

他会重复他对我的厚望，

This time he would say,

这回他说，

"Mary, you cannot go astray,

“玛丽，你千万不要误入歧途，

because you are the future of your siblings."

因为你是兄弟姐妹们的未来。”

But then, in 2012,

但，在2012年时，

life took away the only thing that I was clinging on.

生活带走了我赖以生存的希望，

My father died.

我的父亲去世了。

My grades in school started to collapse,

我的成绩一落千丈，

and when I sat for my final high school exams in 2015,

在2015年的高中毕业考试里，

I was devastated to receive a C grade.

我很痛苦，因为我只拿了个及格。

OK, I keep telling students in my class,

我一直和我班上的学生说，

"It's not about the A's; it's about doing your best."

“关键不在于成绩是否优秀; 而是你有没有全力以赴。”

That was not my best.

而我没有尽全力。

I was determined.

我下定决心，

I wanted to go back and try again.

我想回到学校，再试一次。

But my parents were gone.

可我的父母已经不在了，

I had no one to take care of me,

没有人会照顾我，

and I had no one to pay that fee.

也没有人会替我交学费，

I felt so hopeless.

当时我真的很无助。

But then, one of my best friends,

但我一个最好的朋友，

a beautiful Kenyan lady, Esther Kaecha,

一位漂亮的肯尼亚女士， 埃斯特·卡恰，

called me during this devastating moment,

在我绝望之际，打来了电话，

and she was like, "Mary, you have a strong will.

她说，“玛丽，你真的很坚强，

And I have a plan, and it's going to work."

我有个计划，我想应该行得通。”

OK, when you're in those devastating moments, you accept anything, right?

当人在绝望的时候，会抓紧 任何一根救命的稻草，对吗？

So the plan was, she organized some travel money

计划是这样的，她筹集了路费，

for us to travel to Anester Victory Girls High School.

让我俩到安斯特胜利女子高中去。

I remember that day so well.

那一天，我记得很清楚，

It was raining when we entered the principal's office.

走进校长办公室时，天正下着雨。

We were shaking like two chickens that had been rained on,

我俩像被落汤鸡一样瑟瑟发抖，

and we looked at him.

我们看着校长，

He was asking, "What do you want?"

校长问，“你们想要什么？”

And we looked at him with the cat face.

我们恳切的看着他， 像可怜的小猫咪一样，

"We just want to go back to school."

“我们只是想重新上学而已。”

Well, believe it or not, he not only paid our school fees

是的，信不信由你们， 校长不仅替我们支付了学费，

but also our uniform and pocket money for food.

给我们买了校服，而且还给 了我们一些买食物用的零花钱。

Clap for him.

让我们为他鼓掌。

(Applause)

（掌声）

When I finished my high school career,

在我结束我高中生涯时，

I became the head girl.

我成为了学校里的女学生代表，

And when I sat for the KCSE for a second time,

而在我第二次参加高中毕业考时，

I was able to receive a B minus. Clap.

我拿到了良好。 掌声鼓励。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

So I really want to say thank you to Anester Victory, Mr. Gatimu

我真心想对加迪姆先生，还有 安斯特胜利女子高中说谢谢，

and the whole Anester fraternity for giving me that chance.

对给予了我这个机会的 全体安斯特的师生说声谢谢，

From time to time,

时不时地，

members of my family will insist that my sister and I should get married

家里人总会唠叨我和妹妹， 让我们赶紧嫁了，

so that somebody will take care of us.

这样就有人照顾我们了。

They will say,

他们说，

"We have a man for you."

“我们给你找好人家了。”

I really hate the fact that people took us as property rather than children.

我真的很讨厌他们总是将我们 视为财产，而非孩子。

Sometimes they will jokingly say,

有时候，他们甚至会开玩笑说，

"You are going to lose your market value

“你读的书越多，

the more educated you become."

你就会越掉价哦。”

But the truth is,

但事实是，

an educated woman is feared in my community.

在我的社会里， 人们惧怕受过教育的女人。

But I told them, this is not what I want.

但我告诉他们， （结婚）不是我想要的。

I don't want to get kids at 16 like my mother did.

我不想像我母亲一样， 16岁时就当上了母亲，

This is not my life.

这不是我要的生活。

Even though my sisters and I are suffering,

即使我和我的妹妹们 依然处在水深火热之中，

there's no way we are heading in that direction.

我们也绝不要重蹈覆辙，

I refuse to repeat history.

我不要让这样的历史重演。

Educating a girl will create equal and stable societies.

女孩受教育才能创造一个 公平和稳定的社会，

And educated refugees will be the hope

受教育的难民总有一天会成为

of rebuilding their countries someday.

重建他们国家的希望。

Girls and women have a part to play in this

女孩和妇女， 也是重建国家的一份子，

just as much as men.

她们和男人一样重要。

Well, we have men in my family that encourage me to move on:

我的家里的男人 总是不断鼓励我前进：

my half brothers and also my half sisters.

我同父异母的兄弟， 和同父异母的姐妹。

When I finished my high school career,

在我高中生涯结束后，

I moved my sisters to Nairobi, where they live with my stepsister.

我把妹妹们安顿到了内罗比， 和同父异母的姐妹住在一起。

They live 17 people in a house.

那所房子里，住着17个人，

But don't pity us.

但是，不要觉得我们可怜。

The most important thing is that they all get a decent education.

最重要的， 是她们都受到了良好的教育。

The winners of today

今天的赢家，

are the losers of yesterday,

其实就是昨天失意的人，

but who never gave up.

但是他们永不放弃。

And that is who we are,

而这就是我们，

my sisters and I.

我的妹妹们和我，

And I'm so proud of that.

而我为此感到骄傲。

My biggest investment in life --

我人生中最伟大的投资 --

(Applause)

（掌声）

is the education of my sisters.

就是对我妹妹们教育的投资。

Education creates an equal and fair chance for everyone to make it.

教育为每个人创造了平等和 公正竞争的机会，

I personally believe education is not all about the syllabus.

我私以为，教育不只是关乎课程，

It's about friendship.

而是关于友谊，

It's about discovering our talents.

关于发掘天赋才能，

It's about discovering our destiny.

关于发现命运。

I will, for example, not forget the joy that I had

比方说，我永远不会忘记

when I first had singing lessons in school,

我在学校里 上的第一堂音乐课时的快乐，

which is still a passion of mine.

我依然对此充满热情。

But I wouldn't have gotten that

但是如果在别的地方，

anywhere else.

我本不会有这样的机会。

As a teacher, I see my classroom as a laboratory

作为一名老师， 我将我的教室视为一间实验室，

that not only generates skills and knowledge

在这里，学生不仅要学会 技巧和知识，

but also understanding and hope.

而且还要学会理解和充满希望。

Let's take a tree.

让我们以树为例，

A tree may have its branches cut,

一棵树可能会让人剪掉树枝，

but give it water, and it will grow new branches.

但是只要你再浇点水， 就又会长出新的枝条。

For the child of war,

对于战争中的孩子们来说，

an education can turn their tears of loss into a passion for peace.

教育可让他们从痛失亲人的眼泪中 振作起来追求和平。

And for that reason, I refuse to give up on a single student in my class.

而正是因为这个理由，我绝不放弃 我班级里的任何一个学生。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Education heals.

教育具有治愈的力量。

The school environment

学校的环境，

gives you a focus to focus ahead.

让你能够专心致志， 心无旁骛的去奋斗。

Let's take it this way:

大家可以这样理解：

when you're busy solving mathematical equations,

当你埋头于解决数学方程式时，

and you are memorizing poetry,

当你在背诵诗歌时，

you forget the violence that you witnessed back home.

你就忘记了你曾在家乡看到的 满目疮痍，

And that is the power of education.

这就是教育的力量，

It creates this place for peace.

它为和平创造了一片天地。

Kakuma is teeming with learners.

卡库马现在挤满了求学的人，

Over 85,000 students are enrolled in schools here,

有8万5千名学生来到这边的 学校求学，

which makes up 40 percent of the refugee population.

占难民人口的40%，

It includes children who lost years of education because of the war back home.

其中包括因为家乡战乱 而失去教育机会的孩子们。

And I want to ask you a question:

我想问在座各位一个问题：

If education is about building a generation of hope,

如果教育是为了给一代人树立希望，

why are there 120 students packed in my classroom?

那为什么还会有120名学生 挤在我的教室里听课？

Why is it that only six percent of the primary school students

为什么只有6%的小学生，

are making it to high school,

能顺利读到高中，

simply because we do not have enough places for them?

难道只是因为教室不够？

And why is it that only one percent of the secondary school graduates

为什么只有1%的高中毕业生，

are making it to university?

能顺利上大学呢？

I began by saying that I am a teacher.

我在开头的时候， 介绍自己说是一名老师，

But once again, I have become a student.

但是，我又当学生了。

In March, I moved to Rwanda

三月份的时候，我迁去了卢旺达，

on a scholarship program called "Bridge2Rwanda."

参加了一个学者项目 “通往卢旺达的桥梁”的，

It prepares scholars for universities.

为学者们上大学做好准备，

They are able to get a chance to compete for universities abroad.

让他们能够有机会 争取在国外上大学。

I am now having teachers telling me what to do,

现在我有老师指导我该做什么，

instead of the other way round.

而不是我告诉别人该做什么。

People are once again investing in me.

再一次，有人愿意为我的教育投资。

So I want to ask you all to invest in young refugees.

所以我想请在座各位 为年轻的难民们的教育投资。

Think of the tree that we mentioned earlier.

想一想我之前提到的树的比喻，

We are the generation to plant it,

我们是植树的一代人，

so that the next generation can water it,

这样下一代人就可以为其浇水，

and the one that follows will enjoy the shade.

再下一代人就可以在树荫下乘凉，

They will reap the benefits.

他们就可以收获前人种下的好处。

And the greatest benefit of them all

而在所有的好处之中，

is an education that will last.

最棒的一点就是 教育会因此永垂不朽。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）