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Beyond Words - Madison Franquiz · WHAT I'VE LEARNT

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: While at just 25 years old, Maddie Trumpwiz stood on the floor of the United Nations 77th General Assembly to advocate for kids who missed the same benchmark as her.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the third grade benchmark is indicative of future success a child will have in school.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: It was a benchmark that I missed, she says.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Living in poverty during her second grade year, Maddy's family struggled with access to basic necessities of life, including books.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: She never dreamed that someone like her could one day attend college, much less write a book, or compete for Miss Texas.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: And that's another story.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Maddie's father came into the country with a Spanish-English dictionary and struggled to learn English as a second language.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: The literacy journey happened generationally for her family.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Today, Maddie is living the American dream.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maddie is a graduate student who is on track to begin her PhD in international public policy and economics.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: She's an author, having self-published eight children's books.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: She even delivered on a dress at the World Literacy Summit in Oxford, England.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: In 2022, Maddie was named an ambassador for the World Literacy Foundation and the youngest founding member of the World Literacy Task Force, operating under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Four.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: She currently serves as its first youth ambassador.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Her advocacy work has been recognised internationally.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: She has spoken to over 40,000 people around the world and served as a US delegate at the 2023 World Literacy Summit.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Maddie beat the statistics.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: So Maddie, welcome to the Beyond Words podcast.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Thrilled to have you here from the US.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: I know I'm trying to figure out the timing.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, oh, so it's Tuesday over there.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's Monday here.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: But that was, it's uh it's an honor to be here.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you for having me.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Pleasure, absolute pleasure.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, um, researching, I've I've read your story and it's really interesting.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me a little bit about growing up and how, you know, you talk about your father struggling with literacy.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Can you talk to us a little bit about that?
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Because it's more common than it should be.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Let's be honest.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's quite prevalent.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so we grew up in North Carolina, which is on the east coast of the United States.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I lived there for about seven years of my life until my father lost his job.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: And then we were completely uprooted.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I had a very idyllic childhood.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: We grew up almost 15 minutes from the beach by walking.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: You could smell the salt air when you go out, and our community was tight-knit.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: I loved my childhood.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: We had a huge backyard, huge backyard.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember playing and running and jumping on the trampoline and just the excitement and joy that you're supposed to have in a childhood.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, then we were completely uprooted and we moved to a foreign land, which at that time was called Texas, and it still is called Texas, but it was so foreign to me to move across the country.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, America's very, very big.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so we traveled, we packed everything up in our little car, um, and we moved.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: And we we thought we were going to what was our promised land.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: But after some time here, uh, my father lost his job again, and we ended up in Section 8 housing, um, which is poverty here in the United States.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I went to a Title I elementary school.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: So all of this is about my second and third grade year.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: So this is the pivotal time for literacy, right?
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: This is that benchmark that we're trying to hit to make sure you're meeting that mark.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: So it makes sense as during all of this trauma as a child, I missed my third grade literacy benchmark, you know, but we didn't have access to the basic necessities of life.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we struggled with those things, um, and especially books.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so I'm very thankful that my father was a hard worker.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: He's a servant leader.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember vividly, we he'd get up in the morning, he'd make my lunch, he'd walk me across the street to my school, and he'd go out and he'd look for a job.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and he did a variety of different things, like selling phone books when that was a thing, um, painting houses, all of these different things to put food on the table.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so, even at a young age, servant leadership and serving the community and working with the most marginalized communities, minority backgrounds as well, um, was very much so a part of my upbringing.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, come to find out later on in the future, you know, my father's telling me about how he grew up and about when he came into this country.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and he came into the country with a Spanish English dictionary and he learned English in front of his classmates in college, and they were so horribly cruel to him because he was different, because he sounded different, he had an accent, he was not he was Spanish, is that right?
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: And he never Spanish, yes, yes, that's right.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: And so I he never wanted us to have that experience, and so he sheltered us.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like I missed out on a part of that heritage because we were so sheltered from that.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_01: He wanted us to have somewhat of a normal childhood, life circumstances, right?
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: We really didn't have a normal childhood.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's really kind of the upbringing and the shaping of my story at a young age.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: I think what's interesting about what you're well, first of all, there's a there's the new immigrant story, which you reflect, which is your dad coming to a new country, which is meant to be progressive and embracing, but often is quite cruel and challenging for new immigrants, as you've just outlined.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then he carves this journey where he tries to raise his family, and then it's almost like he falls down the ladder, literally, of life as he loses his job, which is a very common experience and a very traumatic experience for a family.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: And as you say, he does everything in his power to try and rebuild that.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: But the consequences for children, which is very common, is that they don't get access to education, which is what happened to you.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I think that's where your passion is very evident, but also it probably gives you a very real and visceral, you know, authentic experience that that gives credos or credibility to your vision.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: So hence you get involved in better education.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me about what happened next.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because from what I understand, opportunities then started to emerge.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: So tell us how you actually then went from notebooks, limited education, struggling to now about to do your PhD, as I understand.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, we're very blessed.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: We always feel that there's been a sovereign hand over our life and over our family.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so my dad got a job, and he is the epitome uh the epitome of the American dream, right?
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, he is, I mean, his grandparents were immigrants and he came into this country.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I just he's an inspiration.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: He's who I want to be when I grow up because he's been such a hard worker.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: So he placed, and now he's vice president of a hospital corporation.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so, like, that is the epitome of the American dream.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: But I can also say I'm I'm my ancestor's dream because I am that kid.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we experienced poverty and we had struggles and we struggled as a family.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: I struggled in school.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: I was viciously bullied.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, number one, because I loved learning, but number two, I was this awkward kid who just came out of poverty.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: I wore track suits that made the swooshing sound, and I had glasses that were cork bottle glasses.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so naturally in school, it makes sense to a lot of people when I tell them that side that yes, of course, I was bullied.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so from an early age, I heard these messages um from my own experience that you're not enough.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: For a really long time, I believed that message.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: I believed that I was not enough, and I strove to prove myself.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: In two ways, it was negative, but in a really positive light, it made me strive for a better education.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and through that journey of just self-discovery and and struggle, I realized I am enough.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: I should be, and I was made to be.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and and what my purpose and my calling, and I and I was made for so much more.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so when I look back on my time there, I remember those kids that I was in that Title I school with.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: And that shapes the vision for the future because I remember those kids, I remember their faces, I remember their names, I remember the hopelessness that they experienced.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: And you and I both know that books open up a world of possibility for kids to imagine something that's better for themselves.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's exactly what happened to me.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yes, my third grade librarian placed that book in my hand.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yes, my third grade librarian placed The Lightning Thief by Rick Riot into my hands.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I can trace the trajectory of that book from that third grade library all the way to the United Nations 77th General Assembly.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what changes lives.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: And so, yes, I'm on track to begin my PhD in international public policy and economics because of literacy and because of the intervention of my community members.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: What an incredible story and such an exemplification of how books do change our lives and how getting access.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: What was the book, The Lightning?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Just for our listeners, the book that it was The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: So if anybody knows Rick Riordan, because I know you have a large following, I it's my dream.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: I wake up in the night sweats thinking about the opportunity to meet him.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and they're coming out with this new TV show, The Percy Jack, because they butchered the movies the first time they did it.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: So now I think there'll be redemption for that because he's sitting on it and you know they they're doing that new beginning to see that.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: I hope so.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the whole thing they'll actually tell the actual story from the childhood because it's such a good book.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: I think even adults enjoy it uh when they read it.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: So I mean, highly it's just throwing that out there, putting that out there, trying to manifest that.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: We'll manifest for you, don't you worry, Maddie.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: If there's anyone out there who knows how we can tap that, let us know.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I love also your passion for for storytelling, but but one thing I'd like to just tap also is I want to understand how prevalent is this illiteracy crisis in the communities where you grew up and where you're going to speak.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: You've speak you've spoken to so many schools and lots of communities.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's really an epidemic, isn't it?
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's quite a crisis.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't think people understand just how serious it is.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: Can you give us a little snapshot or an insight into what you've been saying on the ground in the fix?
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I think a great story for this, it is an epidemic.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's an epidemic of illiteracy that was exacerbated by the pandemic.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you don't really see that unless you put your boots on the ground in the community.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: But on a regular basis, when I meet with community members and I'm speaking with organizations and just regular everyday people, I tell them, I guarantee you there is one person, at least one, because the statistics hold true, that is in your life that is reading at or below a third grade level.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: And they're always astounded.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: But it's funny to hear from them.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: And they're like, I talked to people and I met with people, and that's why they don't want to watch the closed captioning on the Netflix shows that we watch.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really fascinating to hear.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but the work of my nonprofit puts books and resources into schools.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: And so I am part of that resource as well.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: I go and I run a curriculum with these kids for character education.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I was at a Title I school here in my community.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I was, it was really what started this whole World Literacy Foundation journey, World Literacy Summit, going to the UN, all of the different things was a very pivotal moment because I'm in this class and I'm teaching to the third graders.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: And the teacher comes up to me and she says, Hey, Maddie, in a very hushed tone, she said, Maddie, can you can you dumb down your presentation for this next group that's about to come in?
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, I I promise I've done the research, I I've done it, I know like this is tailored specifically to your kids.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: But I was curious, so I said, Um, why?
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: She said, our third graders are reading at or below a kindergarten level.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that's when you look around and you realize and you go, Oh, we have a literacy problem and it's in my backyard.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so I saw it to make a difference from that point forward.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that story is really quite revelatory in the sense that we're talking the US.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: We're talking that I think is what people don't realize.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: So when people think of illiteracy, they often think of it as being in marginalized, random, often third world communities.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that is a big issue, and there's no question that it is a big issue.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I think what you're shining a light on is that in local, what is supposed to be a very progressive educational system, people falling through the cracks.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that particular story exemplifies that.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so out of interest, did how did you cross that bridge when that next group came into the room?
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Did you have to dumb it down?
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: Or did you, and that is a strange expression, obviously, as you you and I would agree, that the teacher used, but because it has its own connotation.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: But but did you have to adapt your, you know, your um your presentation, or and were you stunned to see?
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: So these kids would have been how old?
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, if they were second grade, were they?
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh 10 to 11 years old.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and they were reading like kindergarten, like and they're reading at kindergarten, so about five to six years old.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: So six years younger than them, which is mind-boggling, I think.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: Mind-boggling.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: But yes, absolutely.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm flexible and I, you know, adapt, of course, you know to what the kids need.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think in that in that particular scenario, you have to look at and say, oh my gosh, how can I serve them where they are?
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: How can I meet them where they are?
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so of course I adapted my program and I took what I have for kindergartners and designed that.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: And as I was, you kind of be you have to be flexible when you're in the room and be flexible with your audience as well.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: So you see, okay, they're picking up on this.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: I can push a little bit further here, um, or I can talk about a little bit more about this at a higher level.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: No, they're not getting it.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: So let me pull it back.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so, but from that point on, I literally left the building and was like texting my community members, going, How can we fix this problem?
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: Because I'm not somebody who's gonna sit back on my homequarters when I see something that's a problem and not do something for it.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I actually connected with the U.S.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: youth ambassador um because we had partnered together on an initiative uh with the United Nations.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: And she said, Hey, you should check into the World Literacy Foundation.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: They're doing some really, really good work.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: Just see if that's something you'd be interested in because it might be a good partnership for you and your nonprofit.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: So they were actually running, it's just the sovereign hand again.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: They were running an ambassador program at that point in time, and they were taking those applications.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_01: And it said, we have thousands of applicants every year.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: We only take about 300.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I said, It ain't gonna be me, but I'm still gonna fill out that application because I'm gonna take every opportunity because there are doors that you're meant to walk through that no man can open, and there are doors that are shut that no man can shut, but you have to choose to take that opportunity, right?
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: So I took that opportunity and I am blessed to say I was one of 300 applicants that were chosen, and I've been an ambassador for the World Literacy Foundation now going on to two years, and I will serve as a mentor ambassador this year as well.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: Well, they're very lucky to have you.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I know that speaking to my team, they're very, they're very impressed with you and what you're doing.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: What do you see as the greatest challenge moving forward for young people in particular?
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: So you talk about having to tackle this problem, walking out of that room, ringing your community members, going to the UN Assembly, being part of the World Literacy Foundation, all of those are really great actionables, and you're definitely stepping up to the plate.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: What is the biggest challenge and how, and I know there are many, um, because when I do these interviews, I'm I'm obviously seeing this spectrum of challenges.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: How do you think, do you think it's a grassroots level uh issue we need to tackle?
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: And or do you think going into schools doing what you're doing is one of the main things?
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: But what is the greatest challenge for us all trying to deal with this issue?
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_01: You're so right.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_01: You are so right.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: There's just so many issues.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I was at a panel this weekend at the University of Arkansas speaking with some college students, and there was a particular student, Sebastian, who was asking during the QA session.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: He raised his hand very tentatively, but he said, Okay, so you're very driven, you're very ambitious.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: What do you do if we burn out?
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_01: And that's something that you really have to think about because I think many, many young people who are my age burn out because they see the things that they want to make a difference on and they feel like they can't do it.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: For me, when I stood on the floor at the United Nations and I looked around, I realized two things.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: I was one of the only women in the room, and I was the youngest person in the room by a good marginal about 20 to 30 years.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: So, Maddie, standing on the floor of the United Nations, what an extraordinary experience.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to me about that.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: Extraordinary, humbling, probably one of the greatest moments of my life so far.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but you stand there in that room, and it's an iconic room, it's an important room, it's where the International Declaration of Human Rights was signed, and you feel the weight of history sit upon your shoulders.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I realized two things very quickly that I was one of the only women in the room, and I was the youngest person in the room by a good 20 to 30 years.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so that in that moment, I don't think I felt more alone.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: I was there, you know, with family and with friends and with community, but you realize very quickly I'm one of the only people that's doing this at my age.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: And so, Sebastian, who is at the University of Arkansas, I think he's feeling the same thing.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: Is that well, what do you do when you realize you're grinding your nose to the millstone, trying to make a difference, and you feel alone.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so, my encouragement for him is the same for all the listeners.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's you find a community of like-minded individuals who, when you get burned up, will push you forward.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's about owning your advocacy, owning your agency, and at the same time surrounding yourself with like-minded people who are going to encourage you and spur you on to good works because this is hard work.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, not everybody believes that we have a literacy issue.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: You look at the stats and you look at the numbers, and they still turn a blind eye to it.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's about not only doing the work alone, but bringing people with you because the more that we bring, you know, you talked about community organizing, it starts small.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_01: You want to make a difference, you start in your neighborhood and then you spread out.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's truly how we make a difference in literacy and education, and that's how we change the world.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely agree with you, and very inspiring too to see such a young, articulate woman, you know, being prepared to stand in that environment, which is quite daunting and overwhelming, but because you have this strong core belief in what you're doing.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: Do you feel, do you feel that you were heard at all in that context?
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: I am yes and no.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: There's been places where, you know, I don't want to be like as a woman, but as a woman, there have been times in my life where I have not had a seat at the table where the decisions are being made.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I made a decision a few years back, even as a young 20-something, that yes, I'm gonna make room for myself at the table.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to credential myself in such a way that I will be heard.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: So even if I have to put DR in front of my name or PhD at the very end of my name, I want to be heard because I believe I have something important to say.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: But also, number two, I remember the women who came before me, my mentors who shepherded me, who made a way when there was no way, they paved that way for me.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: So I will also remember the women that came after me.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: And if there's not a seat at the table, I'm gonna pull one up and make room for other women because it's important that we have a spot there.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so, in regards to your question about there, yes, I am lucky to be shepherded and mentored by a man named Joseph Golly, who is the secretary general of our task force.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and he has championed me.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, he has looked after me, he's made sure that my voice is heard.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_01: He said, you know, Maddie's got something to bring to the table.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's a wonderful thing to have someone who's already made it, quote unquote, in their industry, um, who is championing you along the way.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: So then you're the next person to pick up the mantle.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, I saw him yesterday and he was a great advocate of what you're doing and very supportive.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I think what I like about it is, you know, as you say, I mean, first of all, illiteracy affects a you know, a massive amount of women.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: The stats are quite insane.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: When you when you look at the breakdown, um, women are often seen as not a priority.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: And yet they can't read a medical bottle, they can't, there's basic things, they can't read a street sign.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the most basic things that you can't comprehend, somebody can't, let alone reading books, just the basics.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: That was really confronting when I looked at that stat.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, and a lot of this makes it hard for them to, with their mothering, with their running a family home, trying to actually make sure that children get what they need.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: They themselves are struggling.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: Have you come across a lot of women in your community, in your community growing up and in the communities you visit?
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think having women at like yourself at the coal face is very important for that reason.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: And and those are the it's the names and the faces.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sometimes not the best with names.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: It's that ADHD, but I remember the faces.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: The faces are sometimes most impactful, right?
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I keep those on the forefront of my mind whenever I'm going into these places, and I draw back to that because that's what keeps me centered.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: It keeps me centered to my why.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I'm reminded of a quote, and my mother says it all the time, but she says, the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: And she's right.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: As a mother myself, I like that.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's quite profound.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: It is so profound because she's right.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think about my mom.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: My mom stayed at home for 23 years, but she raised me.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, she was educated.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, she she's a boss because she was the first in her family to graduate from college.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: And she didn't graduate with one degree, she graduated with two.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: So she is the epitome of what hard work can do.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: And I just think sometimes we need those examples for other women.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you're not always gonna be an ambassador to the United Nations.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, stay-at-home moms are just as important because they are raising the next generation of influencers.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I would never negate that in any way because I do think that those are the people that change the world.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: So, of course, we want to resource women.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: We want to resource mothers in a way that they can influence the next generation and raise up people who can think for themselves and want to make a difference for others.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: Well, your mother sounds like quite a quite an impressive woman and certainly a role model for you.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I I think that that that is very impressive too, because I think you know, um, that is also driving your mission, knowing that you're representing the next generation of women.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me, are you hopeful?
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: Do you feel optimistic?
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yes.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think uh without hope and without vision, the people perish, right?
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: So we have to have hope.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: We have to wake up each day.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: I'm the kind of person that wakes up on purpose for purpose.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: And so I am reminded, even on the days today was a I'm gonna be really real with you.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_01: Today was a rough day.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: I felt like I got nothing done.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_01: I felt like I ran into wall after wall after wall at work.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: But this, this right here, us doing this work.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I came home and I'm re-energized because I remember my why.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_01: At the end of the day, I love my job.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: I work in higher education, but my purpose is to equip the next generation with their passion and with their purpose.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: And we do that through literacy.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: And so, getting to come home and do this, I am hopeful because there are people who are like you who are gonna go out and make a difference, who are even storytellers because this inspires other people.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we are gonna make a difference and we are going to curb the epidemic that is illiteracy.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: Well, all I can say is what an impressive, articulate woman you are.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: And the World Literacy Foundation and the task force are very fortunate to have you, and we are thrilled that you came on the Beyond Words podcast to inspire and to energize our community of listeners to take action, to get involved, and to understand that we want to eradicate illiteracy as soon as possible.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: So let's let the journey continue.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Maddie, so much, and I'm so glad that you took the time to talk to us.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a blessing.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: Well, at the World Literacy Foundation, we believe in literacy is the foundation of lifelong learning and education.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: People who cannot read or write experience difficulties with simple everyday tasks, such as reading the label of a medicine bottle, filling in a job application, or understanding a traffic sign.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: When we help someone to acquire literacy skills, we are empowering them to access to better opportunities in life to break the poverty cycle.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: The World Literacy Foundation is on mission to ensure that every child regards a geographic location has the opportunity to acquire literacy skills and books to reach their full potential.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's planning to eradicate literacy by 2040.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_00: Reading writing should just be basic light, not a privilege.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: So please, if you're interested, head to our website at the World Literacy Foundation to see what is happening globally, this extraordinary organisation, and you realise that there are 750 million people who cannot read and write.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: So see if you can contribute and make a difference.