There once always was a girl who lived in an island-city. Out of one-thousand one-hundred and ninety-two islands and twenty-six atolls, she lived in Kaafu Atoll of Male’, Maldives. She had the biggest dreams. She lived among the lives of other kids, went to school and was a good student. She loved art, music and creation. 

    Hi, my name is Imani. 

    I was thirteen years old. That was 2023.

    The current year is 2030. The year of technology, science, sport, art and tourism in our country. All the kids my age who wanted to become brilliant things, either succeeded or are still working hard. All the girls my age back then are now either sportswomen, scientists, authors or artists of such. It's a relief that they are. 

    Why?

    When I was thirteen years old, my government changed. New ministers, bosses and a new President came to light. But the distraught reached me when I realized, out of twenty-two ministers - Sports Minister, Education Minister, etc. - only three were women. I didn’t know what the future was expected out of a government like this. 

   It was common for a woman to be neglected and told off by people in their workplace, school, or home because of gender. To be told that they’re supposed to be cooking and cleaning in a kitchen, instead of chasing their goals. I barely saw any women during the elections, standing on a stage. 

   But that changed, in fact, in a matter of generations. Most of all, the generation that came after.

   “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked, one day.

    “A swimmer. A champion.” She said, with curly hair and strong muscles, ever so casually. She had multiple trophies on her shelf, mostly shining gold. She won medals, more than one was usually around her neck every time. She participated in more than one tournament. She ran with her body gracefully and quickly in zero gravity. A superstar.

   Behind that, she worked harder and harder everyday. She swam for nearly two whole hours every day. She was one year younger than me and yet she went to the gym. She went abroad for tournaments. She also had pressurizing school and homework. Sometimes, she came to school with injuries.

    I see her on television. She’s got the fastest record for a Maldivian swimmer. It was amazing. She says to me one day,

    “I’m going to the Olympics next,” she says. It’s not something I hadn’t expected, after all. She’s got this. She’s come so far, since she started to swim at five years old. I have no worries for her.

   “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I texted my friend one night, who goes to basketball practice with me.

    “An author and an artist,” she said, enthusiastically. She reads so many books. She loved drawing and painting whenever she got free time. She’s already written a book - A fantasy story, written so well, which I read. She was thirteen and a half when she published it. She wrote that book within less than a month. She surrounded her mind with words she needed to write down and beautifully painted what she had visualized with colors. 

     Even after she wrote that book, she had so much to do. She was a prefect at her school. She had flag duty during parades, which meant she had to walk for an hour on foot holding her school flag. She was in a school where being a prefect meant that you would have to study nearly every day, working hard academically, with a fear that if she didn't, she would lose her prefect title. She also carried the burden of others’ expectations and extra curricular activities. 

    I was walking this morning by a bookstore after breakfast; I saw a special book on display. It was special, because it had her name on it. Immediately, I walked into the bookstore and purchased the book, so I could read it for my own inspiration. It was beautiful, with the illustrations and the fun characters. I smile reading her biography at the end, knowing she’s reached the place she wants to be and is always working harder.

   “What would you like to be when you grow older?” I asked a young girl sitting next to me at a skatepark, amidst a having conversation with her

   “Why don’t you tell me about yourself first.”

   “If you tell me, maybe I will.”

    “Fine…” She didn’t value her dream. She said that people thought it was too big. She wanted to become an astronaut. To swim among the stars and be surrounded by the universe, just wrapped around her finger. To have the moon reflect her silver helmet. 

    “That’s amazing,” I told her. Her eyes lit up like stars. I didn’t tell how hard she would have to work to become an astronaut. Especially that no Maldivian had been even known to work at NASA or any space station. I didn’t tell her that it would take an estimated ten years of training, which would include going to college, getting a master’s degree, mandatory training and how excruciating it would take to finish all that. I didn’t tell her how much a normal astronaut would even get paid, just to risk life off Earth. Smaller price to be paid for a job that requires going out of a whole planet into outer space.

    I opened a news headline last night. I felt my mind just wander off to that particular memory of when I asked her what she wanted to be when she was older. I saw an older face, reflecting stars off her eyes, the same way it lit up when I first saw her. I read through the whole article, top to bottom, way too many times. I couldn’t believe I talked to that same girl, (who didn’t believe she could reach her dreams because of someone else’s opinion), who is now going to Mars with the biggest smile on her face. Even the average astronaut’s pay has changed thanks to her. The first Maldivian woman on Mars! Masha Allah. What a blessing.

    It took me back to when people would question what I wanted to be when I grew up. It took me a while to find out, there were so many inspirations. 

    “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My dad asked me at the dinner table, one evening. I remember my answer, full of enthusiasm and excitement.

    “An author and a musician!” and I started to remember that memory as clear as the sunny sky, a younger me looking towards a bright future she will never forget.

Written by: Imani Shafy

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imani Shafy, 13, joined UNFPA Maldives Country Office for a one-day internship, bringing fresh insights and youthful exuberance to our team. This article is a testament to her creativity and perspective, embodying the dreams and aspirations of young girls everywhere. UNFPA reaffirms its commitment to empowering every girl in Maldives to reach their full potential, aiming to create a society where women and girls are equipped with the knowledge, freedom and opportunity to shape their own destinities and conitrbute to the sustainable development of their communities.