SOPHIE SPILLARD

Creating community education programs, from many beautiful moments of inspiration.

One stand-out moment being a talk, delivered by Kofi Anan during my own studies. He commented: "those who are privileged enough to receive the education you have: have influence; use it”. Certainly we graduated with a new privilege: from having crossed paths with people who we shared moments of hilarity, joy – and sadness with; from having seen new corners of the world; and from non-traditional learnings that inspired us to approach problems from new perspectives. If we can share some of that knowledge and inspire those around us, we might create a butterfly effect of goodness.

My interest in education and purpose-led projects stems from an earlier moment: a trip to Ecuador, where I participated in a TV porgramme during my first degree. It was a beautiful opportunity to experience the vitality of Latin America for the first time. Ecuador left so many impressions on my heart – because of the warmth of the people; and also, because it was, in so many ways, an eye-opening contrast to the world I had known.

Through collaborations with local businesses there, I had the opportunity to visit corporate offices and occasionally, their production facilities. Some – such as the Yanbal operation – seemed to be world class: modern, automated and impressive. Further, what stood out to me about Yanbal was their mission: to create business opportunities for women in the markets they serve, and to bring about a positive impact on society. It was a business truly founded in purpose.

Another factory that I remember fondly, was one that created denim pieces: it was a small site and quite old. There I met a woman who shared her story with me (since I didn’t speak much Spanish, mi chaperona helped to translate). We were similar in so many ways. The striking difference that confronted me: I was studying for a degree, which had the potential to unlock greater economic opportunities. It was not that I was more intelligent, it was simply the coincidence of being born in a country with broader access to education. It still saddens me to think of the conditions she worked in, but, it also makes me smile to remember the pure joy that shone from her, as she spoke about the important things in her life that made her happy – the true privilege of this world. 

More details coming soon.