Have you ever been told that your dreams are impossible?
For Tererai, a young girl growing up in rural Rhodesia, learning was difficult. Girls didn’t go to school with their brothers; they stayed home to cook, clean, and bring supplies to their village.
Tererai uses an ancient ritual to feed her dreams and help them grow. She buries her dreams in a can, putting her trust in Mother Earth.
With the support of her mother, her grandmother, and her village, Tererai eventually moves to America to study and get her bachelor’s, master’s and PhD. Just when her dreams felt like they were slipping away, she repeated tinogona to herself.
Tinagona is a powerful word for a dreamer. It means “dreams are achievable.”
I searched for this story after learning about Dr. Tererai Trent in an interview with Marie Forleo. I was moved to tears by how hard Tererai worked to achieve her dreams, overcoming poverty, racism and working towards her goals over decades.
This book helps children learn their dreams matter, and giving back to others is so important.
Beautifully illustrated, this is a true story of hope for anyone (child or adult) looking to achieve a goal or dream.
Helps with: hope, rituals, achieving dreams, courage, perseverance, understanding racism and poverty, remembering your home, giving back, education, women’s rights, community.
Author: Dr. Tererai Trent
Publisher: Viking Penguin Young Readers, 2015