The EndyBekx Initiatives for Children and Women Development, EBICWD, a nongovernmental organisation in Nigeria, has marked the 2024 edition of the International Day of the Girl Child with pupils of Jeddo Primary School in Jeddo community, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.

This year's celebration of the girl child worldwide, which has as its theme, "Girls' Vision for the Future", was celebrated globally on Friday, October 11, 2024.

According to Amb. Endurance Bekenawei Nwachukwu, founder of EBICWD, while sharing her thoughts on the 2024 edition, said that, "This year's celebration offers a powerful platform to amplify the voices of girls and share their dreams for a better world."

Speaking further she added, "This theme encourages girls to envision their future and articulate their aspirations for education, careers, leadership, and their role in global society. It also prompts the global community to listen to and support these visions through policy, empowerment, and resources."

Amb. Nwachukwu further highlighted some ideas to bring to life the theme of the 2024 edition of the International Girl Child Day, stressing that the activities can inspire a global movement that not only celebrates girls, but also commits to building a future shaped by their vision.

Below are the insights:

1] Vision Boards & Workshops: Organize workshops where girls create vision boards reflecting their dreams for the future. This could focus on personal goals (education, careers, skills) and collective goals (a world with gender equality, peace, or innovation).

2] Panel Discussions and Mentorship: She further reiterates the need to host panel discussions with female leaders from different industries to share how they turned their visions into reality. Following up with mentorship programs where girls can interact with role models who inspire them. Mentor - Mentee program 

3] Essay or Art Competitions: The need to organize contests where girls are asked to express their vision of the future through essays, poems, or artwork. This can be a platform for girls to creatively articulate what they want the world to look like in the future.

4] Spotlight on Girls in STEM and Leadership: Feature programs that encourage girls to envision their future in STEM fields or leadership roles. Invite professionals in these fields to speak, run coding workshops, or have leadership training sessions.

5] Digital Empowerment Campaigns: The use of the power of social media to give girls a platform to share their visions globally is also key. She encouraged the running of campaigns where girls can submit videos or posts about their aspirations and ideas for shaping the future.

6] Community-Based Projects: Engagement of girls in local community projects where they can apply leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills to create immediate change in their environment is another very important way to bring this theme to life . This would give them a sense of agency over their future.

7] Global Voices for the Future: She called on Organizations from the Creek of the Niger Delta (EBICWD) to partner with international organizations to hold virtual events or webinars connecting girls from different countries to share their visions, exchange ideas, and inspire global cooperation.

#penglobalcommunity #EBICWD #Internationalgirlsday