In 1973, several alumni of Jesuit schools gathered in Valencia, Spain to celebrate the achievements of St. Ignatius. On that day, the head of Jesuits, Fr. Pedro de Arrupe Y Gondra gave one of his most celebrated speeches titled, “Men and Women for others.” The title of this moving speech that changed the approach to education within the Jesuit circles later became the motto of Jesuit education. According to Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the then education trend was characterized by individualism. Scholars did not reflect the values of Jesus Christ who sacrificed his greatness to save all mankind. According to him, the best practice would be educating men who would live not for themselves but for God. And living for God meant expressing profound love for the least of neighbors (Burke 10; Crystal, par. 6). Considering Fr. Arrupe’s conception of the meaning of education, the charitable life Bill Gates will be identified in this paper to show how one’s education has been used to support the least of neighbors.
Without a doubt, Bill Gates can be considered one of the world’s most genius brains. His contribution to the world of technology has had a great impact on the day-to-day lives of almost every living human. His Microsoft Corporation has become the world’s greatest software developer. As a result, Bill Gates has been ranked within the top ten richest people in the world for almost a decade. However, the great sum of money raked in by the Microsoft Empire has not been used solely for personal benefits. With the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the least of neighbors from all corners of the earth have benefited. Living standards have been improved and lives saved (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (b), par. 3).
Bill Gates has used his genius education to support the less fortunate by offering grants and scholarships for minorities in the United States. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, more than 27,000 students from high school would be assisted to complete their education in colleges and universities. According to Bill Gates, the more than 4.5 million students who were estimated would miss college between 2006 and 2016 were not a result of lack of talent and ability but increased tuition fees. The targeted recipients of the grants and scholarships were from low-income minority families. Furthermore, the Foundation encouraged public service to devote their efforts to improving the lives of others.
Outside the United States, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has extended its charitable hands to Africa. In Kenya, several families were facing threats of death through starving. According to the Foundation, the starving was not a result of lack of land, but poor agricultural methods that led to underproduction. In Western Kenya, research showed that if farmers engaged in the use of fertilizer, their returns would be more than 70%. With such production, issues of hunger and starvation would be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, only 29% of the farming families used fertilizers leading to massive under-production. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has engaged in promoting behavior that would enable farmers to increase their use of fertilizers. This involves the use of vouchers and teaching them on appropriate saving mechanisms (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (a), par. 5).
Although this is just a bit of what Gates has engaged his education into, its impact on the lives of the least of neighbors can be seen. Kenyans can now increase their agricultural production while disadvantaged students in the United States are able to pursue further education despite their financial status. Accordingly, there is no further meaning to Fr. Arrupe’s conception of Jesuit education than what Bill has done.
References
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Nudging Farmers to Use Fertilizer: Theory and Experimental Evidence from Kenya. 2009. Web.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scholarships. 2007. Web.
Burke, Kevin. The Legacy of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J in Celebration of 100th Century of his Birth. Lane Center Lecture Series. University of San Francisco, 2007.
Crystal. Interpreting Pedro Arrupe. 2009.