Tererai Trent’s story is one of hardship and adversity, combined with the determination to never give up on her dream to gain an education, then return to the village where she grew up and build a school, thus breaking a generations old pattern that neglected the educational needs of young girls. As she reminds us, “To educate is to empower, to empower is to liberate, and to liberate is to enable individuals to have dignity.” Dr. Tererai Trent grew up in a cattle-herding family in rural Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe) and dreamed of getting an education, but limited by cultural practices and a war that liberated her country, she was married with three children by the time she was eighteen. Undeterred by traditional roles and cultural norms, Tererai determinedly taught herself to read and write from her brother’s schoolbooks. From those humble beginnings, Tererai has become a world-renowned scholar, humanitarian, motivational speaker, educator, mentor, and inspiration, leading the global charge in the fight for quality education for all children. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx