I HAVE A DREAM.

These days, inconceivable and heartbreaking reports abound about the young girl. It is sad to read topics like, “Girl, 4, raped to death by 37 years old man.” “Gunmen Abduct 3 school Girls in Lagos.” “14 years old Ese Oruru Abducted and forcefully married to captor.” “Grandfather docked for raping 6years old granddaughter.” All these send me down memory lane; I remember those good old days, my growing years when rape was unheard of. Days when the girl’s innocence was protected by all, when boys saw girls as sisters and men saw girls as daughters to be kept out of harm’s way, not as objects for fulfilling sundry lusts. No one thought it right to take advantage of or exploit the young girl for his own profit. Every girl felt free to be herself, she could visit and spend the holiday with her uncle without the fear of molestation. Today, the girl is endangered species, with every male in her life treating her as a property to be ‘used’ as he dreams fit.

While I am not advocating a return to those dark days of technological backwardness, I sincerely believe things can and must change for the better for the young girl.

I dream of a society where everyone values the girl child by actively preserving her innocence while helping her understand and enforce her fundamental human rights. A society where the young girl is free to attain her God given potentials, encouraged to discover herself, gifts, talents and natural abilities early in life and enabled to fully utilize them, benefitting maximally from them.

I dream of a society where the young girl is not subject to abuse, neglect, devaluation, exploitation, forced underage marriage, over-sexualization, unwanted pregnancy, illiteracy and all such evil perpetrated against the females.

Annually, since 2010, on the platform of my NGO, Damsel Foundation For the Empowerment of Girls, I bring together, hundreds of young girls in seminars and gatherings where they are empowered through information and participation with the hope of provoking positive changes in the society; always inspiring, mentoring and challenging these girls to discover and use their gifting for the good of humanity. My satisfaction is in seeing that by reason of such gatherings and outreaches, the girl child is imparted with tools to face challenges and navigate successfully through life.

 My dream is to see every Nigerian girl grow up with self confidence and healthy self esteem, empowered to make the right choices, living a balanced life of dignity and provoking positive change in her environment.

I believe my dream is possible and achievable. Do you?