The indefatigable Shirley Blair.

Education, without education for the heart, is not so good.

The roots of International Women’s Day are bound to the suffragette movement and the gaining of voice for women in the political, cultural, and social spheres of society.

How women use their voice is of equal (if not more) importance today, as it was some two hundred years ago, when the movement was born.

Since its inception, this day has grown, as more than simply a moment in time to recognise the rise of women the world over – it has become a catalyst for revolutions of change, for equality, and for opportunity – this has not, and will not, change.

On this day, I write to celebrate the strength of one woman, and I do so, in honour of her extraordinary life’s work.

In using her voice to irrevocably and humbly, change the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of disadvantaged children and by extension their families, in the Himalayan region of Nepal, Shirley Blair, Director and Fundraiser for the Shree Mangal Dvip Schools, is shaping, and shaking, the very spheres she exists in.

Like the suffragettes before her, she is using her voice, her influence, and her unyielding passion to drive change for those whose place in society, so defined by a system they do not prescribe to, has been characterized by centuries of deliberate and sustained discrimination.

Influenced by the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, and the tireless work of Thrangu Rinpoche, Shirley has used her voice as an advocate, an educator, and an ardent believer in the fundamental right for the forgotten mountain children of the Himalayas to receive an education – the basic and the fundamental right of every child on this planet.

Since 1997, Shirley has worked in the service of these children, those from communities formerly labelled under law as ‘enslaveable alcohol drinkers and eaters of yak meat.’ She has done so with a commitment to their education centred on the contributions they can, and they do, make when they return to Nepal, upon completion of their tertiary studies.

Inspired by the work of the selfless and scholarly women who came before her, Shirley welcomed Dr. Jane Goodall to SMD on a number of occasions. Intrinsically linked to any meaningful education is an innate understanding of our environment and our interaction with it. ?Dr. Goodall’s reflections, these being, that having an open mind, and confidence of self, can enable one to live the width and breadth of life, gave rise to students of SMD, who under Shirley’s guidance have forged purposeful paths in a society structured against them.

Of particular importance to Dr. Goodall, the attributes of determination and obstinacy highlighted the importance of understanding and accepting our role in the world and our collective responsibility to protect it – these perspectives speak to all people, not to gender, and talk of our shared obligation to walk diligently in the direction of meaningful change.

Some of the most powerful lessons we learn, occur through the unintended social interactions we have. We should remember these moments in time, unconstructed, unplanned, and use them as catalysts to harness the strength of the women before us; those who have not only blazed the trail but kept the flame burning for those who will walk the path long after they have left it. ?

Their footprints a guide for future generations.

There is a spirit that exists in Shirley Blair that is hard to define – one can hear it in her calm and compassionate voice when she speaks of the students in her charge, and the mission she is on. It is the spirit of a woman so shaped by her purpose, so driven by her desire for change, and so ardent in her belief that education is not a privilege but an inalienable right, one cannot but help be humbled and called to action listening to her.

The women who fought to use their voice, knew long ago that being loud served little purpose.

Being informed, being educated, being articulate, it was these attributes working in unison that would create the loudest, most profound voice of all.

On this day, I write in honour of Shirley Blair, who has used her voice, her knowledge, her education, her pursuit of justice, and her passion, to truly change the world for the forgotten mountain children of the Himalayas.

What we must all do now, what matters most now, is that we listen to that voice.

That we create the momentum needed to make the mountains sing with the strength of students who have studied, succeeded, and returned to serve others, because of the selflessness of Shirley Blair.?