My ode to the girl child,
To mother's little helpers everywhere.
To the hewers of wood and the fetchers of water,
From streams far off, for the entire family.
The girl child often uncelebrated,
Their labour of love, sometimes forced often goes unnoticed, unrewarded.
They are taught to undertake all household chores willingly,
Whilst their brothers are encouraged to frolic and play freely.
I celebrate you today, the world celebrates you.
The girl child, often taught from infancy to be SILENT.
Taught to keep all her thoughts and ideas in her head,
Because they are not considered worth much.
Thus denying the world 50% of the creativity, passion and ideas,
Which our almighty Creator imbued in one half of His human creations.
What a pity, such a sad sad pity
I thank God I was not so stifled by my parents or teachers, I really thank God.
The girl child, often denied an education in our parts,
By poverty, ignorance, culture, religion and early marriage.
The girl child, in some places aborted before birth,
In other places they're abandoned in orphanages in their thousands,
Sent into domestic servitude in yet other places,
Some are sadly sold into sexual slavery in other horrific places.
But it's not all doom and gloom for the girl child, for our lovely daughters.
Education both formal and societal is taking place.
More families are treating their daughters as they should.
Many see their daughters as the treasures they truly are.
As great blessings given from above.
So let's all come together to celebrate the girl child today.
Let's recognise her challenges, her strengths, her gifts
And do whatever is in our power to make her lot better in the future,
Especially the poorest and the most disadvantaged.
Dedicated to all our lovely daughters who are still children,
And to the families who love and truly cherish them.
By Christie Nonyelum Akumabor © 11/10/17
To mother's little helpers everywhere.
To the hewers of wood and the fetchers of water,
From streams far off, for the entire family.
The girl child often uncelebrated,
Their labour of love, sometimes forced often goes unnoticed, unrewarded.
They are taught to undertake all household chores willingly,
Whilst their brothers are encouraged to frolic and play freely.
I celebrate you today, the world celebrates you.
The girl child, often taught from infancy to be SILENT.
Taught to keep all her thoughts and ideas in her head,
Because they are not considered worth much.
Thus denying the world 50% of the creativity, passion and ideas,
Which our almighty Creator imbued in one half of His human creations.
What a pity, such a sad sad pity
I thank God I was not so stifled by my parents or teachers, I really thank God.
The girl child, often denied an education in our parts,
By poverty, ignorance, culture, religion and early marriage.
The girl child, in some places aborted before birth,
In other places they're abandoned in orphanages in their thousands,
Sent into domestic servitude in yet other places,
Some are sadly sold into sexual slavery in other horrific places.
But it's not all doom and gloom for the girl child, for our lovely daughters.
Education both formal and societal is taking place.
More families are treating their daughters as they should.
Many see their daughters as the treasures they truly are.
As great blessings given from above.
So let's all come together to celebrate the girl child today.
Let's recognise her challenges, her strengths, her gifts
And do whatever is in our power to make her lot better in the future,
Especially the poorest and the most disadvantaged.
Dedicated to all our lovely daughters who are still children,
And to the families who love and truly cherish them.
By Christie Nonyelum Akumabor © 11/10/17
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| Simply curious about the world |
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| Eager to explore the world |
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| With my little brother |
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| My pretty little nieces |
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| Beautiful Tiv girls in their lovely attire |
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| My ten year old self |
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| Girls from the Abrore tribe of Ethiopia |
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| At eighteen I thought I knew it all |
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