If I had a million dollars to give away, I know exactly where it would go.
It would go to people who believe — as I do — that education changes everything.
I’ve spent my whole adult life helping people grow. It’s the thread that runs through everything that has mattered to me: seeing people develop in knowledge, in understanding, and in confidence. There’s something sacred about watching someone step into their own potential. Education does that — it expands the mind and the horizon at the same time. It’s not just about information; it’s about formation.
Years ago, I visited Africa for work and fell in love with the people I met there. Their joy, generosity, and deep spirituality humbled me. There was a lightness in them that was refreshing. I stayed in touch with my translator after I returned home, and through that friendship I had the privilege of helping his son and daughter complete their university studies.
That experience changed how I think about giving. It taught me that generosity isn’t just about money — it’s about relationship. You give, not because you have more, but because you’ve seen what’s possible when someone is given a chance. And the beautiful thing about education is that the impact doesn’t stop with one person. A doctor heals a village. A teacher shapes a generation. A software developer brings new solutions to old problems.
That’s the ripple effect — the quiet multiplication of hope.
If I had that million dollars, I would give it to Anglican Aid’s educational programs in Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Egypt, and South Sudan https://anglicanaid.org.au/category/education/ I’ve seen how they empower communities through local partnerships and sustainable support. And I would give special priority to educating girls and young women — because when you educate a girl, you educate a community. You invest in health, stability, and the breaking of cycles that hold people back.
In the end, the goal isn’t just learning facts or earning degrees. It’s giving people the chance to dream, to choose, to contribute, and to shape their own futures.
A million dollars wouldn’t solve every problem, but if it helped one generation rise and lift another, that would be enough. Because real change doesn’t come in waves — it comes in ripples, one life at a time.
The Afterword 
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