When I finish school I want to become a footballer. I love football and think that girls are better players than boys. But If I am not good enough to play football professionally then I would like to be a journalist. This is because I want to have more information about things that the government hides from us. This happens a lot in Nigeria.
I want to be able to influence people in power. For example, when you see an orphan I want politicians to take responsibility for the needy and for those who can’t afford to pay their children’s school fees. The government should bring more facilities to schools so that we are able to better learn subjects such as science. We also need more practical lessons so we learn outside of what is in the books. Science, technology and art are not taught properly because we can’t practise them.
Biggest challenge: In girls club we act out dramas about the effects of not educating girls. We present our dramas in educational colleges and in our community. I have been visiting one girl who is pregnant to explain to her that after she has the baby she needs to try to come back to school. We will see once she has the baby if she has listened to me, although it will be hard for her because I don’t know who will look after her baby. Some girls find it hard to read because they haven’t been taught well – so they don’t see the point in continuing with secondary school.
Proudest moment: There is one girl in the school who gave birth to a baby girl and I went to visit her and spoke to her family. She has just returned to school and now a member of the girls club. She is very good at advocating for us.
I think the more girls we gather together the more power we will have. My ambition is to be able to talk to a Nigerian politician and tell them the importance of girls’ education in Nigeria. I have a lot of hope for girls’ education in Nigeria, but we need to keep campaigning and encouraging more girls to stay longer in school.
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