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Wednesday October 16, 2024
Photo credit- Emmanuel Ikwuegwu
The theme for this year’s commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child is ”Girls Vision For the Future’ This shows the need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by the power of girls and their vision for the future.
A report by the United Nations highlighted that girls are not only courageous in the face of crisis but also hopeful for the future and this is why AWiM News spoke to some secondary school girls about their inspiration, dreams, challenges and vision for the future n commemoration of the international day of the girl child.
Our first respondent is Onyemaechi Victory. She attends Evans Education Centre, Obiaruku. Edo State, South-South Nigeria.
‘‘My mom is my biggest inspiration because she encourages me to become a professional nurse in the future and praises me a lot. The major challenge I face is not having enough time for studying and I am working towards creating enough time for reading and being more focused because I believe this will help my career path. Education is very important to me because I get to learn about experiments and life generally which is why I would love to study and have a PhD. I am proud that I am a girl child in my family because it makes my mummy happy”.
Our second respondent is Abati Grace . She attends Golden Anchor High School, lagos, South West , Nigeria
”My mom is my role model because she is smart, and hardworking and teaches me good morals and values. Education is very important too because without it I won’t achieve my goal of becoming a medical doctor in the future.I had pneumonia when I was young but I overcame it and that shows that I can overcome anything. I would love to inform girls across the globe to stay safe out there and also take care of their health as health is wealth. It is a privilege that I came to this earth as a girl because our presence is essential as the world will be empty without us.”
Our third respondent is Atoloye Oluwamayokun. She attends Maximus College, Arepo Ogun State, south west Nigeria.
”My mom is my role model because is a great woman of God, an amazing wife and mother and an inspiration to me. She has shown me how to walk with God, how to face challenges and how to not cower in the face of opposition. She has taught and mentored me on how to make decisions, live life, and dream big. She has been my perfect role model since I was a child and will always be.”
She told AWiM News that one of the major challenges she had faced was a lack of acceptance and the issue of “not fitting in” as a result of her faith and her beliefs. One thing she has learnt over time was that as a Christian, the world will not accept you, but that Christ had accepted her.”
”I aspire to become a renowned lawyer and to be a role model to many other girls in the future. I want to use the voice that God has given me to spread His gospel and to be an inspiration to my generation and generations to come which is why education is extremely important to me as I see it as the pathway to opportunities and a platform that prepared and equips people to be self-sufficient and independent in the future’, she says.
The words of these girls affirm the claim of the United Nations that with equal opportunity, the right support and resources, the potential of the world’s more than 1.1 billion girls is limitless.
Our Conversation with Grace Munyiri, the Founder of Cacumator Mentorship
Grace is a graduate of Actuarial science from the University of Nairobi and also holds a Masters degree in Data Science and Analytics. She is passionate about girl’s development and empowerment
Grace Munyiri. Photo credit -LinkedIn
Munyiri shared her inspiration for working with girl’s empowerment with AWiM News. She said, “Growing up in Kenya, I faced financial, societal, and cultural barriers to education. Mentorship gave me hope and direction. Realizing many girls face similar challenges, I founded Cacumator Mentorship to provide the support I once needed. I aim to empower girls to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams, no matter the odds.”
The Chevening Alumni explained that Cacumator Mentorship employs several strategies to promote girls’ education and retention. These include: creating a comprehensive support system beyond the classroom, offering personalized mentorship, scholarship assistance, skills training, and community engagement while empowering them to be leaders. In her words, “We instil confidence, leadership, and decision-making skills through mentorship, advocacy training, and community-based projects. This fosters self-belief and resilience, enabling girls to become role models and pave the way for future generations.”
She emphasized that Cacumator mentorship is just one of the thousand other working toward the improvement and development of girls. She said that the cause can be supported through donations of educational materials, scholarship sponsorships, and volunteering. She added that partnering with Cacumator for community outreach raises awareness about girls’ education, and transforming countless lives. Every contribution has a ripple effect by empowering girls and their communities.
Grace’s message to every girl on the International Day of the girl is “It is possible, Only Believe!”
”Education is the doorway to endless opportunities. No matter the obstacles, you are capable of achieving greatness’, Grace says.
She urges the girl child to believe in herself and her potential. Cacumator Mentorship, aims to bring out the best in each girl through mentorship, inspiring them to rise above their challenges. Girls have the strength to change their world. Her parting word for the girl child is to keep pushing forward and know that her dreams are valid and within reach.
