Last week I went to a talk with researcher Ruth Magreta. Before delving into her field of study. Ruth made sure to give ample context from both her life and Malawi’s past. Building on her experiences back home, Ruth hopes to help improve certain infrastructure to help prevent things such as environmental devastation and lack of food from natural disasters like drought. Ruth also made it clear that while some people in the US may be able to ignore global warming, in her country, there is no question that the environment is changing.

My favorite part of her talk was learning about her past. As a young girl, she grew up with very little money in a big family. But what was most admirable was her positive outlook on life. Because she had never experienced anything else, she enjoyed the long walks to the market and running around on her farm with her siblings. She liked feeding the dogs and cooking for her brothers. Life was life to her, regardless of what she did not have. And it is this attachment that fuels her passion for change.

As time goes on, more droughts occur because of the changing planet. And when there is now ater, maize production halts. This drop in maize, Malawi’s largest export and main food staple, affects all aspects of life: health, economics, education, and so on. I think it is amazing how fondly Ruth looks on her past, making me almost feel nostalgic for my own childhood, regardless of how different we are.

If I took anything from this talk, it is that we should use our experiences and those we love to push us to make a brighter future; we all come from somewhere, and whether you like that past or not, there is always room for improvement. So dedicate yourself and work towards providing for the future, not just yourself.