The Spark that Starts the Fire

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Thank you to all who have donated! We have reached $2390, almost 15% of the goal. Please continue spreading news of the Strength in STEM GoFundMe Campaign. Nora and Fatima are determined to make a difference. The following shares their inspiration.


We all stand on the shoulders of others. It’s unusual for a teenager to be so acutely aware of it. Even more unusual is a teen who identifies her inspiration to be a poet who lived 800 years ago, Afghan-born Rumi (1207-1273),


It’s a terrible irony that all meaningful opportunity is banned for girls in a country with deep roots in beauty and wisdom. Nora and Fatima are fortunate to have parents who know education, human rights, and compassion matter. Their father’s example is that these things are even worth the threat of violence, a reality he and others have faced too often. 


Early in my correspondence with Nora, she shared:


“In Afghanistan, we used to gather in the library of our house with students who lived with us and my uncles during the holidays and we would take turns reading Rumi's poems. What beautiful days we had and how much we enjoyed reading and listening.”


Nora often shared the wisdom of Rumi in our correspondence. In a heartwarming response to one of my emails, she shared:


“I am so small I can barely be seen. How can this great love be inside me? Look at your eyes. They are small, but they see enormous things.”


In response to another where I shared an evening spent dancing, she sent many poems by Rumi on the topic, including:


“Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free.”


Nora’s grandmother was a poet who ignited the passion for learning in Nora’s father. He then passed this on to Nora. She now plays a lead role in educating her siblings while they live in exile. Sister Fatima embraces her family legacy and is expressing it through a passion for creative writing.


Nora and Fatima have been raised in wisdom of the ages. They will spread it through Strength in STEM,

with Rumi whispering in their ears:


“Do not worry if all the candles in the world flicker and die. We have the spark that starts the fire.”

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