“I will tell my daughter: Do whatever you want to do, but make sure you do it well.”
Rashida Ibrahim

Rashida Ibrahim is a 28-year-old English teacher in Niger, who understands how important it is to get educated. It is thanks to education that she can teach and pass on her knowledge.

Rashida is proud to be able to contribute to the development of her country by providing education to her community. Not only is she able to care for herself, she is also able to help her brothers and sisters financially when needed. Rashida says, "I am independent and I can take care of myself."

Although education has been a positive influence in Rashida's life, there were moments of struggle. Rashida recalls that in her final year of high school teachers and students went on strike. This meant that she had to go to two different schools to make sure she continued studying for her Baccalaureate exam at the end of the year and not fall behind.

As an educated woman, Rashida has ambitions for herself and for her community. One of these dreams is having her own communications or events company. Rashida says if one day she has a daughter, she would stress the importance of getting an education to her, "I will tell my daughter, 'Be yourself, do what you want to do, but make sure you do it well'."

This story is part of education shapes futures, a compilation of powerful stories of young people living in GPE partner developing countries on how education had a positive impact on their lives.