Awka
It was an exposition and mentorship programme of sorts for young girls, as a non-profit Organisation, Young Anambra Women for Impact, YAWI, on Tuesday, marked the international girl child day with students of Sacred Heart College Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The event is an annual programme of the YAWI, in observance of the global celebration of the unique place of the girl child in the contemporary society.
The programme was also used to acknowledge the challenges young girls face in the society and to proffer solutions to them.
Speaking at the event, the Convener of YAWI, Ms Chidinma Sunshine Oramali described this year’s theme ‘OUR TIME IS NOW: OUR RIGHTS, OUR FUTURE’ as apt and timely, considering the challenges the girl child faces in the society.
According to her, the future belongs to the girl child and no effort should be spared in providing her the enabling environment to achieve her manifest destiny.
Speaking to the girls, Oramali said “Fellow girls, we can do this. We are the pride of nature and every society, the multiplier of all things good.
“We give birth to life and light, we are the moulders and shapers of humans and invariably the world.
“We are the embodiment of strength and resilience, we are the glory of all God’s creatures.
“In fact, we run the world and today in unison and one voice, we ask the society to see us first as humans before any gender classification.
“The society should see the strength in our fragile physical build-up before calling us weak and inferior.”
The YAWI convener stressed the need to accord the girl child her deserved childhood before exposing them to motherhood.
According to her, early marriage does not only destroy the dreams of the girl child, but also leaves her bereft of the required knowledge to be a model woman, capable of contributing her quota to the development of the society.
“Parents should endeavour to send their girl children to school before sending them to become wives.
“The girl child should be corrected with love before thinking of the rod.
“If the children are groomed appropriately, they will become the mothers we want them to be tomorrow,” she advised.
Other speakers at the event included Women Rights Activist / YAWI Media Officer Charley Mandy, Deputy transition committee chairman of Oyi Local Government Area, Hon Mrs Chidimma Mkpoechina, the Omu of Anioma HRM Omu Martha Dunkwu who sent in a video message, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Engr Dr Francisca Unoma Nwafulugo, Hon Dr Peter Ibida of Anambra State House of Assembly, Barr Queen Agulefo / YAWI Legal Adviser, an Engineering Student of FUTO, Ms Favour Uzochukwu Ozoemenam, among others.
Commending the organisation, the manager of the school, Rev. Fr. Kizito Ezeaniekwe, appreciated the efforts of the organisation towards bringing the programme to his students, whom he noted will be greatly encouraged by what they have heard.
“I also want to also commend the organizers for being good role models and it is quite instructive that the girls will also learn from the exemplary and enviable lives they are leading in the society,” Fr Ezeaniekwe noted.
At the event, the YAWI Team granted educational scholarship to two indigent students, a JS 2 student, Okoli Rita Chidimma and a Js 1 student, Ebelide Sylvester.
