My name is Jennifer Umeh and I am
"Educate A Girl Scholar"
Nigeria. During the one week workshop, we were trained on vocational training in media studies, and to strengthen our voice in media. We were encouraged to be
social entrepreneurs and to discover our own unique identity.
EducateAGirl Scholars
In my case, I discovered myself to write and empower young girls,
mostly the Girls who always worry about their future as they have parents who mistreat them, or as a result of poverty.
These girls don't have the chance to develop their talents or to implement the ideas that could change their life and the lives of people living around them. It affects mostly people living in remote areas where young people are often denied an opportunity for education or have no right to speak their mind, making them ponder whether their life has value.
I organise training sessions with them about their roles as active citizens and the leaders of today as my project. I train them in public speaking skills and build their confidence so that they may stand up for themselves.
In spite of the poverty that is affecting people in rural communities. I believe through this project young people can become great leaders because confidence and the ability to stand up for the young can change things as they know what their community needs better than outsiders. These young people can fight poverty in the country and could change the world like everyone else.
The ability is there, as in my community where I live, there is a girl whom we enrolled in school and she achieved a rare first grade in her primary exam, despite the low level of teaching in the school.
My priority is to change the attitude of the community about girls going to school instead of getting married at a very tender age.
1. Talking with teachers in my community , encouraging them to go out into communities and talk with parents about the schooling of girls.
2. Discuss actions with the local councillors, to develop some strategies for local meetings to include discussion on girls' education
3. Run a series of confidence-building activities for rural girls, showing them that they have talents of different kinds, which could pave way and unlock their hidden potentials and career.
I have planned an outreach programmes, which includes games, creative learning , problem-solving, ethics and world knowledge.
Offa is an area where there is a lot of families living in low income percentage.
This is another key area which impacts on the lives of young girls and is quite often left undiscussed. It can lead to further lack of confidence and there my focus lies , where many girls are not able to go to school due to lack of financial constricts.,
within the Offa community during this particular project. I used my Public speaking skills to help young people living in penury by counselling them and telling them that they are not alone. I train young girls who are forced into marriage to stand up for themselves because they don’t know the health of the people they have been told to marry.
The skill of confidence helps them to be strong and brave for what they know is right for them because I believe their voice can change the minds of parents and people living around them. I feel privileged to be part of the Educate A girl workshop and I hope that we will keep our shared vision clear and continue working together to make the world in general and Africa in particular become a better place.
Educate A girl workshop has empowered me with the knowledge, skills, networks and I can do more to help young people to build confidence and make them realise that they are today's leaders who can change the world.
