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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashland community pitches in for coach's dream trip Bank and coffee shop space in new concept in new Ashland building Ashland Rowing Club offers clinic for new rowers Will the gender pay gap ever disappear? Ashland Recycling Center hits quarter-century Education Official hopeful whooping cough case at John Muir contained Bracing for Common Core Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland Ashland Runs on Volunteers: OLLI classes pay dividends in joy of teaching, learning Environment Ashland Fire & Rescue Alarm Box: There are good fires and there are bad fires Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Business Bank and coffee shop space in new concept in new Ashland building Louie’s Restaurant hosts fourth annual Equal Pay Day Chamber celebrates innovation in the food, wine and beer industries Cars We Remember: 1964 Olds F-85 owner seeks information Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Odyssey Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. 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Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable State News Oregon lawmakers begin minimum wage debate Runners to follow historic salmon migration path Nation - World Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Death Notices Death Notices Death Notices Anna Mae Hassell Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Ashland community pitches in for coach's dream trip Ashland Rowing Club offers clinic for new rowers SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race Grizz softball team keeps rolling For Raiders, a homecoming High school SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race Grizz softball team keeps rolling AHS girls edge Roseburg Raiders remain No. 1 in spring poll Grizzlies blow away Eagles Southern Oregon University SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race For Raiders, a homecoming Raiders remain No. 1 in spring poll Grizzlies blow away Eagles Baldrica sets pace for AHS girls Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Herb Rothschild Jr.: Spreading the risk of vaccination Matthew T. Mangino: Mass incarceration enters the national consciousness Our View: Help fill empty bowls in Ashland Jeffrey Gillespie: Buying the presidency Editorial Our View: Help fill empty bowls in Ashland Our View: Jackson County should say yes to Circle of Teran rehab request Our View: New cat on the block in Ashland Our View: Ashland High benefits as cycle racing club gets rolling Our View: Ashland is prepared, Firewise Letters Letters to the Editor, April 14 Letters to the Editor, April 13 Letters to the Editor, April 11 Letters to the Editor, April 8 Letters to the Editor, April 7 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Columns Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Herb Rothschild Jr.: Spreading the risk of vaccination Matthew T. Mangino: Mass incarceration enters the national consciousness Jeffrey Gillespie: Buying the presidency Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Go to the poetry reading at the library on Sunday Community blog: Poems for parenting A tale of two plays at OSF Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship Five picks for entertainment this week Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability A tale of two plays at OSF Ashland New Plays Festival chooses new artistic director Backstage: 'Poof: Something that wasn’t there is there' Music On TV: Your guide to the Academy of Country Music Awards The Farr Side: Intriguing time on the Hot 100 Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Is Kelly Clarkson’s weight truly news?  Rhythm is on tap at the Northwest Percussion Festival Visual Art More films, excitement than ever for AIFF Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies Movie review: Based-on-fact ‘True Story’ asks, ‘Who’s fooling who?’ Movie review: Lots of monkey business in ‘Monkey Kingdom’ Russell Crowe discusses WWI and being a first-time director 'Cinderella' revisited is stunning, magical Ben Steelman: Big-screen showings to mark anniversary of ‘Sound of Music’ Food and Drink Business profile: Couple opens second Pita Pit in Ashland Tot owners buy Playwright, hire Amuse chef Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Tidings Haiku Corner: Week of March 23-28 Tidings Haiku Corner: Week of March 16-21 App Finder: Best Earth Day apps Health Watch: How to avoid the dreaded weight-loss plateau Looking Up: Watching for the next big comet Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland community pitches in for coach's dream trip ... Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Spreading the risk of vaccination ... Ashland community pitches in for coach's dream trip ... Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Spreading the risk of vaccination ... ASHLAND Malawian inspires Ashland kids with ndizotheka — 'it is possible' Comment By Daniel Newberry For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Daniel Newberry For the Tidings Posted Dec. 15, 2014 at 7:06 PM By Daniel Newberry For the Tidings Posted Dec. 15, 2014 at 7:06 PM --> To see the trailer of "The Boy Who Flies," visit theboywhoflies.com. To view or purchase a Ndizotheka bracelet, ... » Read more X To see the trailer of "The Boy Who Flies," visit theboywhoflies.com. To view or purchase a Ndizotheka bracelet, visit etsy.com. » Social News Godfrey Masauli stood in front of a rapt audience of Ashland High School students earlier this month delivering the impassioned speech he has given many times in many countries. "I told them of the struggles I had, the challenges I faced, and the belief of achieving my dream, even not knowing how it was going to happen," says Masauli, a 25 year-old man from the east African country of Malawi. In a short three years, Masauli has gone from barely surviving — collecting firewood for pennies — to becoming an internationally recognized motivational speaker and champion for education. His message is clear: You can achieve your dream, but only if you persevere in your pursuit of a high school diploma. Masauli was almost a dropout himself. Beginning as a small child, he would often run away from school. During his truant hours, he would kill and eat field mice to supplement his inadequate diet and while away the time. Inevitably, he would be dragged back and whipped for his efforts. "School never made sense to me," he says. "I never had a reason, never had a dream." One day, his uncle rescued him from a beating and took him to an airport near Malora, the village where he grew up. He touched an airplane for the first time and was hooked. "He said, 'If you really want to fly, you have to stay in school,'" Masauli recalls. Returning to school with renewed zeal, Masauli graduated. Over the following seven years, he got discouraged. With his meager earnings, he calculated he would be 105 years old before he could save enough to afford flying. But then, he was blessed with serendipity. Canadian filmmaker and paraglider pilot Benjamin Jordan was traveling through Malawi and crossed paths with Masauli. They struck a bargain: Masauli would be the tour guide if Jordan would give him flying lessons. Because Masauli lives in a flat area, his early paragliding training was spent simulating flights from the ground. One day he couldn't wait any longer and climbed 6,000 feet up his country's highest peak, Mount Mulanje, and ran off the mountain. "I jumped off with the paraglider that I've never seen fly before, and I had to teach myself in the air, and hope that this paraglider would fly over the trees and carry me safely," says Masauli. "I was scared and excited at the same time, but being my only opportunity, I just did it afraid." He became his country's first paraglider pilot. The young Malawian soon began flying into schoolyards to inspire schoolchildren, none of whom had ever seen a paraglider. Masauli appeared to them as a mythical being. He hammered home his message of following dreams and staying in school. "School dropout rate is about 74 percent in Malawi, I think because kids are not inspired," Masauli says. "That was the situation I was in." Jordan produced a film in 2013 about Masauli's journey and dream, titled "The Boy Who Flies." The film subsequently was a finalist at the La Rochelle International Film Festival. It has been shown to packed venues around the world, and has provided Masauli the exposure that would lead him to give a TED Talk and speak in front of the United Nations. "We screened the film at the Unitarian Church in Ashland a year ago November and it was packed," says Kevin Lee, Ashland resident and longtime paragliding instructor. Lee sponsored Masauli's trip to Ashland and is hosting the young man during his four-month stay here. If Masauli was going to fly safely and perhaps become an instructor himself, he would need proper training, something Lee could supply. An early part of Masauli's dream was to build the first paragliding school in Malawi, to help other young adults learn to fly. "His idea has matured over time," says Lee. "Everyone was pushing him down that road, 'Oh, you've got to be an instructor and a tandem pilot so you can make some money,' and it was a big weight on his shoulders." Masauli recently decided not to pursue the paragliding school idea. Instead, he will focus on trying to reduce his country's steep high school dropout rate. His new plan is to grow his nascent bracelet-making business to finance this newest dream. He is teaching schoolchildren in Malawi to make cloth bracelets embroidered with the name of the customer or with the word Ndizotheka. This Malawian word translates as "It is possible," his message to schoolchildren. Masauli is receiving business training in Ashland. His business plan calls for the children to make bracelets, sell them in markets or online. Masauli also serves as a salesman for the children, selling their bracelets for $10 each. Proceeds go to purchase notebooks and uniforms, items he hopes will help keep the children in schools, and to buy a paraglider to be used in his demonstrations in village schools. It all started with a dream. Ndizotheka. Daniel Newberry is a freelance writer living in the Applegate Valley. Email him at [email protected].   By Daniel Newberry For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Daniel Newberry For the Tidings Posted Dec. 15, 2014 at 7:06 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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