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Tag: girls

  • Girls: U.S. deploys troops

    Girls: U.S. deploys troops

    The United States has deployed troops to join the search for the over 200  schoolgirls abducted by the extremist Boko Haram sect in Chibok, Borno State on April 15.

    President Barack Obama has notified the Congress of the deployment of 80 military personnel, who  will be based in Chad, Nigeria’s northern neighbour. Their mission is to help locate the kidnapped girls.

    Obama has sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and to the Senate, notifying lawmakers about the steps underway to assist in the return of the abducted girls.

    According to Obama, the service members will help with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria.

    The force will stay in Chad until its support is no longer necessary. Chad shares a portion of its western border with northeastern Nigeria.

    The military and security agencies may have received satellite images of what looked like the camps where the abducted Chibok girls are kept by Boko Haram, The Nation learnt yesterday.

    It was, however, still difficult as at press time to locate the exact place or places.

    The analysis of the images by the military and other agencies was ongoing.

    The April 15 abductors are believed to have been hiding in the Sambisa forest.

    A security source, who spoke in confidence, said troops have not invaded Sambisa forest because a lot of intelligence gathering was being conducted by Nigerian military, security agencies and foreign forces.

    The source said: “The search for the girls is still in progress. From intelligence gathering, the military and security agencies have got images of suspected camps or areas where the girls are being held hostage.

    “We are analysing these images to be able to locate the exact place or places where the girls are kept.

    “The images showed some clusters of people. The reality from these efforts is that it is still difficult to locate the exact point where the girls are.”

    The source said the U.S. and other foreign nations have been collaborating with the Nigerian military and security agencies to locate where the girls are.

    He added: “A major challenge is getting the spot where the girls are camped. There were contradictory information or clues from the locals and even these foreign partners do not want to capitalise on what the locals are saying.

    “Sometimes, these locals would say the girls are in Sambisa forest or around Lake Chad or Cameroonian borders.

    “So, a lot of intelligence coordination is ongoing as I am talking to you. It is just for the equipment to pick the exact camp.”

  • Abducted girls: Obasanjo’s wife, Ogun First Lady join protest

    Abducted girls: Obasanjo’s wife, Ogun First Lady join protest

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s wife, Mrs. Bola Obasanjo and wife of Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, on Monday joined hundreds of women in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to protest the abduction of over 200 female students of a government college in Chibok, Borno State.

    The protest which began at about 8am at the M.K.O Abiola Stadium, Kuto area took the women through IBB Boulevard and terminated at the Ogun State House of Assembly complex, where Mrs. Amosun presented their protest letter to the Speaker, Suraj Adekunbi , for onward delivery to President Goodluck Jonathan.
    The protesters also took their grievance to the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan.
    At the Governor’s office, they met Governor Amosun and demanded action from the federal government as well as unconditional and safe release of the innocent school girls by their abductors.
    The Iyalode of Yorubaland, Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson; members of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, market women and female artisans, among others took part in the protest march.

    The women, who deplored the girls’ abduction displayed placards bearing various inscriptions: “Kidnapped school girls must be found,” “Our girls are not sex machine,” “Bring back our girls,””Haba!, this is barbaric in the 21st century” and “Let all our women rise to save our girls.”

    At the Ogun State Assembly complex, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi, who addressed the lawmakers called on states and National Assembly members to take action towards freeing the girls from the terrorists.

    Sonubi also appealed to President Jonathan to help secure the girls’ release.

  • Names of 180 abducted Chibok girls released

    Names of 180 abducted Chibok girls released

    The Northern States Christian and Elders Forum (NOCSEF) has released names of 180 girls abducted by the Boko Haram Sect from Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Chibuk.

    According to the statement issued by President/Founder of Old Time Revival Hour, Kaduna & immediate-past chairman of Northern States Christian and Elders Forum (NOCSEF), an affiliate of CAN, Evangelist Matthew Owojaiye, majority of the abducted girls are Christians.

    Noting that the population of Chibok Local Government is 90%, Owojaiye wondered why the Boko Haram did not visit so many other Local Government Girls Secondary Schools in Borno State.

    The abducted Christian girls are:
    1 Deborah ​Abge
    2. Awa ​Abge ”
    3. Hauwa ​Yirma ”
    4. Asabe ​Manu ”
    5. Mwa ​Malam pogu ”
    6. Patiant ​Dzakwa ”
    7. Saraya ​Mal. Stover ”
    8. Mary ​Dauda ”
    9. Gloria ​Mainta ”
    10.Hanatu ​Ishaku ”
    11. Gloria ​Dama ”
    12. Tabitha ​Pogu ”
    13. Maifa ​Dama ”
    14. Ruth ​kollo ”
    15. Esther ​Usman ”
    16 Awa ​James
    17 Anthonia Yahonna
    18 Kume ​Mutah
    19 Aisha ​Ezekial ”
    20 Nguba ​Buba ”
    21 Kwanta ​Simon.
    22 Kummai ​Aboku.
    23 Esther ​Markus
    24 Hana ​Stephen.
    25. Rifkatu ​Amos
    26 Rebecca ​Mallum
    27.Blessing ​Abana.
    28. Ladi ​Wadai
    29. Tabitha ​Hyelampa.
    30 Ruth ​Ngladar .
    31 Safiya ​Abdu .
    32 Na’omi ​Yahonna.
    33 Solomi ​Titus .
    34Rhoda ​John
    35 Rebecca ​Kabu
    36. Christy ​Yahi.
    37. Rebecca ​Luka.
    38. Laraba ​John
    39 Saratu ​Markus.
    40. Mary ​Usman.
    41 Debora ​Yahonna.
    42.Naomi ​Zakaria
    43 Hanatu ​Musa
    44. Hauwa ​Tella
    45.Juliana ​Yakubu.
    46. Suzana ​Yakubu
    47.Saraya ​Paul.
    48. Jummai ​Paul
    49. Mary ​Sule
    50. Jummai ​John.
    51.Yanke ​Shittima.
    52. Muli ​Waligam .
    53. Fatima ​Tabji.
    54. Eli ​Joseph.
    55.Saratu ​Emmanuel.
    56. Deborah Peter.
    57.Rahila ​Bitrus.
    58. Luggwa ​Sanda.
    59. Kauna ​Lalai.
    60. Lydia ​Emmar.
    61.Laraba ​Maman.
    62.Hauwa ​Isuwa.
    63. Confort ​Habila.
    64. Hauwa ​Abdu.
    65. Hauwa ​Balti.
    66.Yana ​Joshua.
    67.Laraba ​Paul.
    68.Saraya ​Amos.
    69. Glory ​Yaga.
    70. Na’omi ​Bitrus.
    71. Godiya ​Bitrus.
    72. Awa ​Bitrus.
    73. Na’omi ​Luka.
    74. Maryamu Lawan.
    75. Tabitha ​Silas.
    76. Mary ​Yahona.
    77. Ladi ​Joel.
    78. Rejoice ​Sanki.
    79. Luggwa ​Samuel.
    80.Comfort ​Amos.
    81. Saraya ​Samuel.
    82. Sicker ​Abdul.
    83.Talata ​Daniel.
    84. Rejoice ​Musa.
    85Deborah ​Abari.
    86. Salomi ​Pogu.
    87.Mary ​Amor.
    88. Ruth ​Joshua.
    89Esther ​John.
    90. Esther ​Ayuba.
    91. Maryamu Yakubu.
    91. Zara ​Ishaku.
    93. Maryamu Wavi
    94. Lydia ​Habila.
    95. Laraba ​Yahonna.
    96. Na’omi ​Bitrus.
    97.Rahila ​Yahanna.
    98. Ruth ​Lawan.
    99. Ladi ​Paul.
    100 Mary ​Paul.
    101. Esther ​Joshua.
    102. Helen ​Musa.
    103. Margret Watsai.
    104. Deborah Jafaru.
    105. Filo ​Dauda.
    106. Febi ​Haruna.
    107.Ruth ​Ishaku.
    108.Racheal Nkeki.
    109. Rifkatu Soloman.
    110.Mairama yahaya.
    111.Saratu ​Dauda.
    112.Jinkai ​Yama.
    113.Margret Shettima.
    114.Yana ​yidau.
    115. Grace ​Paul.
    116. Amina ​Ali.
    117. Palmata Musa
    118. Awagana Musa
    119. Pindar ​Nuhu
    120.Yana ​Pogu.
    121. Saraya ​Musa
    122. Hauwa ​Joseph.
    123. Hauwa ​kwakwi.
    125. Hauwa ​Musa.
    126. Maryamu Musa.
    127. Maimuna Usman.
    128. Rebeca Joseph.
    129.Liyatu ​Habitu.
    130. Rifkatu Yakubu.
    131. Naomi ​Philimon.
    132.Deborah Abbas.
    133. Ladi ​Ibrahim.
    134. Asabe ​Ali
    135. Maryamu Bulama.
    136.Ruth ​Amos.
    137.Mary ​Ali
    138. Abigail Bukar
    139 Deborah Amos
    140. Saraya ​Yanga
    141. Kauna ​Luka
    142. Christiana Bitrus
    143.Yana ​Bukar
    144. Hauwa ​peter
    145.Hadiza ​Yakubu.
    146.Lydia ​Simon
    147. Ruth ​Bitrus .
    148.Mary ​Yakubu
    149.Lugwa ​Mutah.
    150 Muwa ​Daniel.
    151 Hanatu ​Nuhu
    152. Monica Enoch.
    153. Margret Yama.
    154.Docas ​yakubu.
    155. Rhoda ​peter
    156. Rifkatu Galang
    157. Saratu ​Ayuba.
    158. Naomi ​Adamu.
    159. Hauwa ​Ishaya
    160. Rahap ​Ibrahim
    162. Deborah Soloman.
    163Hauwa ​Mutah
    164. Hauwa ​Takai.
    165. Serah ​Samuel.

    Below are the Muslim Girls.
    166. Aishatu Musa.
    167. Aishatu Grema.
    168. Hauwa ​Nkeki
    169. Hamsatu Abubakar
    170.Mairama Abubakar.
    171 Hauwa ​Wule
    172. Ihyi ​Abdu
    173. Hasana Adamu.
    174. Rakiya ​Kwamtah
    175 Halima ​Gamba.
    176. Aisha ​Lawan .
    177. Kabu ​Malla
    178. Yayi ​Abana.
    179. Falta ​Lawan.
    180. Kwadugu Manu

  • Jonathan orders rescue of abducted girls

    President Goodluck Jonathan has given a presidential directive for all the abducted secondary school girls in Chibok, Borno State to be rescued alive.

    About 234 girls writing exams in the school were abducted by terrorists over two weeks ago.
    Jonathan gave the order on Sunday at a meeting between himself and Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa.

    The meeting which ended in the early hours of Sunday also had in attendance the Deputy governor of the state, Borno Commissioner for Education, Mr. Musa Kubo, the chairman of the local government, the State Commissioner of Police, the Divisional Police Officer and the Principal of the school, Asabe Kwabura.

    Also at the meeting were Vice President Namadi Sambo; Senate President, David Mark; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius and security chiefs.

    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati said that there was clear instruction from the President to those who attended the meeting on the urgent need to rescue the girls on time.

    According to him, the meeting was a follow up to the meeting President Jonathan had on Friday as part of efforts to quickly rescue the girls.

    Abati said that there was a high-powered collaboration among all stakeholders, including government at all levels and the community to ensure the safety of the girls.

    “The President has given very clear directives that everything must be done to ensure that those girls are brought back to safety.

    “There was a lot of discussion. This is the first time the President will be meeting with all the other key persons like the school principal, the local government chairman and the commissioner of police.

    “Before now, the President and the governor meet regularly. This is a security operation and at this stage, it is not every detail of the efforts of the Federal Government that will be put into public domain particularly that there are indications that those responsible for the abduction have been issuing all kinds of threats,” Abati stated.

    According to Abati, “What is clear is the determination, the commitment and the resolve of Mr. President and the governor to make sure that these girls are brought back to safety.”

    “I don’t want to deal with numbers. Even if it is one person, the safety of every Nigerian is important,” he added

    At the end of the meeting, the President and his team waited back and met with the Borno governor and his deputy for about 15 minutes.

    The Borno delegation declined to speak to journalists at the end of the meetings.

  • Search for girls continues, says govt

    Search for girls continues, says govt

    The government said yesterday security were in search of the abducted school girls.

    Senate President David Mark described the abduction of the girls as “embarrassing sacrilegeous”

    Information Minister Labaran Maku told reporters after the Federal Executive Council meeting yesterday that: “The adoption of the girls, that itself is a national tragedy that young girls of school age could be abducted in our country in 2014. It is unimaginable, nobody even in our widest imagination that a group of people under whatever guise will take hostage of young girls who are just in the school to write exams.”

     ”This is indeed very painful. From the President and all of us we have been going through a lot of anguish. It is almost like a story out of this world. It goes to show the level of depravity, lack of human feeling that is going on in this clime of terror in this country.

     ”The security forces are still on the heels of these kidnappers and every efforts are being deployed. Unfortunately we are not fighting a standing army. The work of defeating terror is for us to be united. And for us citizens who have information that can lead to fishing out these girls and other criminals in the system to give that information.

    Mark in a statement by his chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, said he could only imagine the harrowing experience of the students in the hands of their captors, the mental and psychological torture of their parents and guardians.

    He called on the captors to allow wise counsel to prevail by releasing the victims.

    He maintained that no rational being could justify the abduction of the children whose only offence is that they chose to go to school to better their lot and contribute to the socio-economic and political development of their fatherland.

    Mark said: “The situation is fast degrading and devaluing us as against the age long cherished love for younger persons.

    “It is a sad commentary and a terrible assault on our psyche as a people. In the good old days of Nigeria, this was a taboo and unarguably unheard of.”

    He canvassed for synergy among security agencies to do all that is needed to rescue the girls from their captors saying that the deteriorating situation is making a mockery of our nation.

  • My brother and I used to date the same girls

    My brother and I used to date the same girls

    The large turnout at the burial of Taiwo Jamani, the CEO of Ireland-based Data Link Company, who died in a Beaumount hospital, Ireland, at about 4 am on November 12, after going into coma for a month, would not come as a surprise to many. Until his death, Jamani was a darling of many of his Nigerian compatriots based in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. The deceased businessman regarded by many as a philanthropist was laid to rest at Flemington Cemetery, Balscadden Balbriggan, Dublin last Saturday.

    Eyewitness accounts said the more than 2,000 people who attended the burial could not conceal their grief as they wailed endlessly. And while it was an occasion for mourning, it also provided an opportunity for many of the late Jamani’s friends and associates to meet his twin brother, Kehinde, for the first time.

    While he is till saddened by the loss of his brother, Kehinde has decided to take the matter stoically, saying that the only thing left to do was to pray for the repose of his twin brother’s soul. “There is nothing we can do now but leave everything in the hands of God,” he said.

    Consequently, 45- year-old Kehinde says he would not press for charges against his twin brother’s suspected killer. “It is only God who can deal with the person responsible for Taiwo’s death. God will deal with him in His own way. Vengeance is God’s; I cannot handle that,” he posted on his Facebook account.

    And he added that no special effort would be made to immortalise his deceased brother in spite of his popularity before his death. Kehinde believes that the impact he made on the lives of people while he was alive was enough to immortalise his name.

    He also explained why the bereaved family decided not to bring the late Jamani’s body to Nigeria for burial. According to Kehinde, ”Taiwo (Jamani) would have been buried in Nigeria, but all his children are based abroad. Besides, it is a taboo for parents to see the graveyards of their children. That could shorten the lives of their parents, hence the decision to bury him abroad.”

    Kehinde, who lives in the United Kingdom, and his late twin brother are half- Yoruba and half-Edo. His mother, he said, hails from Ekiti, while his father is a native of Auchi. “But we both grew up in Lagos. It was a good experience,” he said.

    He also recalled that as it is common with young identical twins, he and his late brother played many pranks while growing up. And being identical did not come without a price as Kehinde said he was punished many times for the sins of his twin brother just as his twin brother was also punished for his own sins.

    Even their girlfriends, he said, found it difficult to identify them. “Because we were so identical, we ended up dating the same girls when we were growing up,” he recalled.

    At Jamani’s burial, his Dutch wife, Helen, who has two children for Jamani, was the cynosure of all eyes. But Biola, the woman whose boyfriend allegedly killed Jamani because he suspected that they were dating themselves, was absent at the burial. Close sources say she feels embarrassed by the saga and has come under so much pressure that she hardly goes out these days. “Biola no longer goes out like she used to because people are insinuating that Jamani was killed because of her,” a source said.

    Jamani, owner of Data Link Company, Dublin, was allegedly attacked by 37-year-old Jooda Akanbi (a.k.a Sharon) on October 10, on Main Street in Dublin town at about 12.20 pm after an argument broke out between them. It was alleged that Taiwo Jamani was dating Biola, a mother of three, the same woman Jamani’s alleged killer, Akanbi Jooda, was dating.

    Biola has continued to deny ever dating Jamani. In an exclusive interview with an online publication, poddesk.blogspot.com, Biola reportedly voiced her frustration over Jamani’s death.

    “I don’t know what I have done to deserve these hatred and lies flying all over the place about me. Why would they say I was his girlfriend and that he was killed because of me?

    “Taiwo was a very nice guy. He was nice to everybody and to me and my kids. Initially, I never wanted to say anything. I thought that after the burial, everything would die down and Taiwo would rest in peace, but the lies have persisted and they are getting worse.

    “I am human and it is beginning to weigh me down. Why would anybody want to tarnish my image? I just want to make it clear that I never dated Taiwo of blessed memory. He was like a brother to me,“ Biola was quoted as saying.

  • Trendy hats

    Trendy hats

    IF you want to get ahead, then get a hat. As you look around, you would discover that there are a number of exciting designs which young girls love to wear. There are different types of hats and your mood as well as event would determine the type that you opt for. While shopping for a hat (s) it is important that you consider the time of the year as well as the statement that you intend to make with it. Most girls love to sport the big hats for special occasions. If you are looking for a simple hat for regular use to fight off the sun, you can choose to buy toned down hats in different colours and patterns to suit your clothing. The choice of necklace must depend on your body type and the outfit. Girls with petite figure can wear a chunky necklace to attract attention to the fine piece of jewelry rather than the full body. You can pair up a long necklace with cute ring for girls on a long skirt to make a statement of your immaculate fashion sense.

  • Malala and Ojonwa: Girls demanding education

    Malala and Ojonwa: Girls demanding education

    Ahead of the visit to Nigeria by Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister and the UN Special Envoy for Education, the Malala Movement of Girl Education campaign  continues to spread with the signing of the petition demanding for education for all children.

    Last Thursday Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister and the UN Special Envoy for Education brought two young women together in an online video exchange – Ojonwa Deborah Miachi has a BSc in Economics from Bingham University in Karu, and is Nigeria’s  National Youth Advocate for universal education and the Millennium Development Goals – and  MalalaYousafzai the sixteen-year-old Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban and who has also had to leave her country to be safe.

    Both are demanding what 57 million girls and boys like them cannot have – the right to go to school even in times of conflict and, as a result, both see themselves at the centre of a 21st-century civil rights struggle.

    This freedom fight – as Malala and Ojonwa show – is now being led not by familiar adult voices but by young people themselves.  For Ojonwa and Malalaare part of a worldwide movement of girls demanding education.

    From the Common Forum for KalmalHari Freedom in Nepal, to the Child Marriage Free Zones across Bangladesh, and including the Ugandan Child Protection Clubs, the Upper ManyaKrobo Rights of the Child Club, Indonesia’s Grobogan Child Empowerment Group, India’s Bachao Bachpan Andolan and the Global March Against Child Labour.

    As Malala says: “innocent girls only want to empower themselves through education. Obtaining education is every man and woman’s birth right and no one is allowed to take away this right from them.”

    Ojonwa and Malala’s missions- to get girls to school – are the inspiration behind Monday’s  Abuja  summit led by President Goodluck Jonathan and Nigeria’s state governors. This landmark event, which will be attended by Gordon Brown and addressed as UN Special Envoy for Global Education, will bring together cabinet ministers, state governors and state education commissioners together with global development partners to get Nigeria’s ten million out-of-school children into education.

    On Monday they will discuss how we can allocate new financial support for school building, teacher recruitment, teacher training and for new technology with tablets, phones and online school courses; this is part of a global initiative to get every boy and girl to school by the end of 2015.  The movement will build a world where for the first time no boy or girl is denied their right to education.

    Leaders will assemble from  USAID, Qatar’s  Educate a Child, led brilliantly by SheikhaMoza, from the Global Partnership for Education whose head is Alice Albright, and  from the global business community led by the Global Business Coalition for Education.  Each will pledge additional support. The UK is also ready to boosting its help this year with a visit from the Permanent head of DFID coming soon.   All want to applaud the President’s initiative and give practical support to the Nigerian government and states in their renewed drive to expand education opportunity for all children.

    Ojonwa, who spoke to Malala on the video link about her fight for education for girls in Nigeria, emphasises the scale of the uphill struggle the country has to face. This is to move from the country with the world’s largest population of out-of-school children in the world to universal education. 10 million children are yet to go to school because there is a teacher shortage of nearly 1.3 million, and we are missing 1.2 million classrooms.  Child labour, child marriage and child trafficking prevent thousands getting to school.

    And for those that do find ways to get their children into school, there is doubt as to the effectiveness of the courses.  Approximately 52 percent of young women who complete primary education remain illiterate. Indeed the large amount of illiteracy is now an economic problem as well as a social disaster, with the number of adults who cannot read or write up to 35 million.  Illiteracy is standing between Nigeria and its deserved success as an economic powerhouse of the world.

    But in the midst of the education crisis, President Jonathan is prepared to take unprecedented action.  He realises that getting every child into school and learning is feasible and achievable, and the key to Nigerian prosperity. Learning from what works best, financial incentives must be fine-tuned to help state governments deliver; teacher training and professional development must be effectively taken to scale by leveraging technology.

    The curriculum of all schools must be strengthened to develop literacy and numeracy skills and families must be supported in their demand for education through conditional cash transfers.  These transfers – now being pioneered in some states – can be taken up in all states and encourage enrollment and attendance particularly of girls.

    The delegation of business, educational and political leaders is working to present financing options and concrete proposals to support the implementation of state plans for education.  We will look at what more can be done to incentivize the education, and leveraging up resources, including the use of the Universal Basic Education Fund to provide central ministry incentives alongside investments from UK, US, Educate a Child, the Global Partnership for Education, and specific offers from the business community through the Global Business Coalition for Education.

    Nigeria itself is calling for the education it needs for the future.  Despite the violence and attacks on education from extremist groups, in addition to the peaceful civil society movements that have occurred over the past few months, Nigerians are signing the petition to support President Jonathan’s commitment to education, and are calling for safe schools for all of Nigeria’s children and for state level implementation of plans for universal education.

    But the greatest hope for the future is the demand of young people yearning for their right to be educated. Nigeria will succeed not just because of the commitment of the Federal government, the organisation of the state governors, and the support of the international community, but because Nigeria’s young like Ojonwa will not take ‘No’ to her education for an answer. The surest sign we will succeed is that boys and girls are demanding it.  You can sign the petition on www.aworldatschool.org/petitionnigeria

     

  • Girls Guide targets two million girls by 2020

    The World Association of Girls Guides and Girls Scouts (WAGGGS) is targeting two million members by 2020, its Chairman, African Region, Helinorod Rakotomalala has said.

    She spoke at the 10th African Region Conference of WAGGGS, Ikeja in Lagos. It has as theme: “African Young Women: Soaring towards Excellence”. She said the group wants to make sure that the girls grow in quantity and quality.

    In her keynote address, the Chairman African Union Commission, Dr Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini Zuma praised the Girl Guides and Girls Scouts and hoped the African Region of the association would meet its target adding that the AU would support WAGGS to groom them properly.

    She said: “As a Union and Member States of the African Union, as adults and parents of this continent, we know our responsibility in this regard, which is to ensure that you are educated, that your basic needs are met, that you have opportunities to participate in the economy, to express yourself freely and that the rights of girls and young women, are known, protected and defended. I have heard what your priorities are: ending violence, ending child trafficking. We heard you and we will work with you on these issues, and I heard your request to be an Observer and we should work on a Memorandum of Understanding to give this effect.”

    She said it is the reason the African Union adopted the African Youth Charter in Banjul, in 2006. She urged the girls to be involved in agriculture so they can help the continent feed its citizens.

    “With 60 per cent of unused land in the world, you are the next generation that must get involved in agriculture so that Africa can feed itself and the world. Young Africans, especially young women must therefore learn the business of farming, agricultural sciences, the food processing sectors, marketing and logistics, in order to build and grow our agro-businesses and sectors,” she added.

    Zuma also said their generation must be the engine for African integration, peace and prosperity.

    Hinting that by 2025, one quarter of the world’s young women and men under 25 years will be African, she said they are not only blessed with a youthful population, but also have abandoned natural resources, land; forests and marine resources, fossil and renewable energy as well as mineral resources.

    “The African Union therefore has great expectations of the role you should play in helping to shape the future of the continent,” she noted.

     

  • What girls need to know about growing up

    Here are six ways to feel good about yourself and your food.

    •Eat Only When You’re Hungry — Yeah, Right

    Everyday you’re faced with temptation. Food is a big part of birthdays, holidays, and just hanging out with friends. You go on a diet, and that just makes things worse. You deprive yourself, and ignore your body when it says it’s hungry. But let your guard down for one second and suddenly there’s no saying no to that super-size sundae.

    •Stay Away From Yo-yo Dieting

    Sure, the miracle diet of the week can melt away pounds. But within a few months, your weight is right back to where it started, and often goes up from there. “Yo-yo dieting is much worse than carrying a few extra pounds,” says Nanci Ginty Butler, LICSW, MSW, who works with girls at Riverside Community Care. You gain more weight over time and also gain more fat.

    •Realize You Are More than Your Looks

    “Girls get the message that what they look like is more important than what they can do,” says Catherine Steiner-Adair Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD, who studies eating disorders at Harvard Medical School. Girls of all sizes tell her they’re not beautiful enough or thin enough to pursue their goals, like being a doctor or a vet.

    •Know the Truth About Eating Disorders

    An obsession with food, or not eating food, is bad for you, plain and simple. But below the surface, it’s not about food at all. It’s about how you feel about yourself. If you don’t like how you look, or who you are, losing weight is not going to fix that.

    Pay attention to how much time and energy you spend worrying about your size. If food or feeling bad about your body is all you can think about, talk to someone you trust, like your doctor, school counselor, or mother. If you don’t want to talk to someone you know, the National Eating Disorders Association web site has a lot of information and people trained to help.

    •Go on a Media Diet

    It’s hard to look at a bunch of gorgeous models and not feel bad about what you see in the mirror. The truth is, most models don’t look like models either. Computer airbrushing enhances photos so models look taller, thinner, and more glamorous. Try taking a break from any media that makes a mess of your body image.

    •Go Back to Basics: Eat When You’re Hungry

    We said it before, it’s not easy, but eating when you’re hungry is possible. Look at the reasons you eat. Butler has girls keep a journal of what they eat, why they eat, and how they feel afterward. “Figuring out why you eat is an important part of healthy eating,” she says. Connecting the dots between eating and hunger is step one in getting real with your body.