by 11th of October has been observed worldwide as the International Day of the Girl-Child since 2012 following a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in December, 2011.
The wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Her Excellency, Dr. Linda Ayade, yesterday celebrated this year’s International Day of the Girl-Child at Government Girls’ Secondary School, Big Qua Town, Calabar with her NGO, the Mediatrix Development Foundation (MDF), a celebration that calls attention to the need to address the challenges faced by girls and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
This year’s theme “Digital Generation, Our Generation” is meant to draw attention to the gender digital divide in connectivity that exist in this digital age, and to encourage more girls to take a step into the constantly growing world of technology.
Speaking while addressing the girls at the event, Dr Linda Ayade, said the girl-child is very important that is why the united nation has set aside a whole day every year to celebrate her, and because of the how important the girl-child is to her, that is why her foundation, the Mediatrix Development Foundation (MDF) in conjunction with the Office of Wife of Governor (OWOG) was at Government Secondary School, Big Qua Town to celebrate the girl-child in Cross River State, just to express the love they have for the girl child and as future women. She charged the girls to come up with positive resolutions that will help them grow into great leaders of tomorrow as they are the digital generation that the theme of this year’s celebration is talking about.
Dr. Ayade said the presentations that were earlier given by the resource persons were to help the girls was to throw light and help guide them to become that important digital girl of tomorrow, nothing less. She discouraged them from joining cults as this constitutes a big distraction that will hinder them from achieving their purpose in life. She said they should drop everything that will hinder them from achieving their purpose in life.
She encouraged the girls to be free to reach out to her through her MDF in case of any distress they may be passing through, and their problems will be handled with confidentiality. She thanked the students, principal and staff of the school for making it possible for them to be there.
Earlier in her opening remarks, the principal of the school, Mrs. Arit Ota Onaga expressed her excitement to be celebrating the international day of the girl-child with Her Excellency, Dr. Linda Ayade and her team.
Mrs. Onaga said the girl-child is never given opportunity in the African society where we belong even though all children are a gift from God. She said every child is a child, but it is what you put into the child that makes that child what he or she will become, using herself as an example, she said she is a girl-child who has grown to become the Principal of GGSS, Big Qua, stressing that girls can become anything in this life. She thanked Dr. Linda Ayade for choosing her school to celebrate the day, and wished all a happy day.
While giving his address the Chief Operating Officer of MDF, Mr. Jeff Adamade said the day was for the celebration of the girl-child, and that MDF right from inception have been in schools through their school base interventions, and the activity of the day fell under the same intervention.
Mr. Adamade said MDF has four (4) thematic areas of interventions, which include health, right and justice, education and volunteering and lastly sustainable livelihood. He said the event of the day cuts across all the four thematic areas of MDF because it affects the girl-child; Adamade said they have been in the length and breadth of Cross River State through their school based interventions.
In Her Excellency’s entourage were the Special Adviser on Finance and Administration, OWOG, Mrs. Phil Inyang, the Special Adviser on Women Affairs, Central, Surv. (Dr.) Gertrude Nanja Njah, the Special Adviser on Event, Owog, Hon. Torita Odey amongst others.
Highlight of the event were presentations on overcoming obstacle to career development, menstrual hygiene, welcome song by the students of GGSS, drama presentation, presentation of gift items to students and staff, entertainment amongst others
