Has been the cry of people everywhere.
Not just Black.
Not just White.
Not just Hispanic.
Not just Indian.
Not just American.
Not just British.
Not just Australian.
Everyone. Men. Women. Children.
Musicians.
Artists.
Dancers.
Lawyers.
Doctors.
Activists.
Singers.
Pastors.
Government.
You get it. Everyone.
Let me give you a quick backstory, just in case you've been hiding under a rock or in a cave or not on planet Earth.
In the middle of the night on April 15, more than 300 girls were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Nigeria. While the horrific crime—carried out by Islamist militant group Boko Haram—went largely unreported for nearly two weeks, you've probably heard a whole lot about the #BringBackOurGirls campaign over the last few weeks and will continue to hear the cry for weeks to come probably.
Prayerfully _NOT_.
Fifty have escaped but more than 276 are still being held captive and remain with insurgents. It's unknown what Boko Haram intends to do with them; some believe they'll be sold into slavery, while others contend they'll be held for ransom. It's also unclear what the Nigerian government is doing to help the victims, which is why activists in the African country have been holding protests and taking to social media, their frustration fueled even further by Boko Haram's capture of an additional eight girls on May 5.
I can only IMAGINE what the families of these young girls are going through. Not knowing. Anything. And as a mother, it breaks my heart for the mothers of these young women.
As a mother I want the best for my children. At all times. Forever. Always. And one of the things that I've always wanted for them was the right to choose whether they furthered their educations. In fields of their choosing. I always said to all of them "it's a big, beautiful world out there," "you have to see what goes beyond what you see here." I didn't think that a lot of words needed to be spoken to get my point across. Education. It's important. See what's out there. There's so much to see. So much to do. So many places to go. So many people to meet. So many other cultures to learn. It doesn't matter whether you get paid to do it, or you're doing it because it makes your heart sing.
I won't pretend to write this as if it were a thesis...it definitely will be some rambling going on, so bare with me. So, here goes the rest of my ramble...
1. In my opinion concerning education, it's even more so important for women and girls. Statistically speaking, or in Renee-speak...because men make more money than women who do the same job. So an education can't possibly hurt. 2. Not to mention that in poorer countries, young women marry earlier and of course, become mothers themselves earlier. 3. Giving young women a chance to learn gives them more confidence. 4. Young girls and women usually, by choice, wait longer to have children while pursuing continuing education. 5. If a young woman can not read or write - how will she survive? Buy food. Clothing. Pay bills, raise children, etc. How can she possibly teach her children the things that they need to know. This is how things become a "vicious circle" from generation to generation 6. Young women and girls will have better self esteem and take care of themselves better physically, mentally, spiritually, financially.
7. An education enables them to make genuine choices over the kinds of lives they wish to lead. This is not a luxury. It's a basic human right.
I could go on but I'm sure you get the point and could very well add a lot more to my train of thought. Just as long as you know the point I'm trying to make....
And so we cry, we beg, we plead .....
Return those girls to their families. PLEASE. Don't hurt them. Don't sell them. Don't turn them into slaves. Don't humiliate them. Don't. There's too much for them to do. To see. To learn. To have chances. There's just too much love being missed by these young women and for them.
And if you're reading this: Say a prayer for those young women. For their families. And everyone touched by this unspeakable terror that they are experiencing. Because when prayers go up, the blessings are sure to come down.
For more information (on the real) and to join in the outcry
Artists auction benifitting the movement http://www.32auctions.com/bringbackourgirls
7:00a EDT - 5/15 thru 3:00p EDT - 5/17
See also
https://www.facebook.com/events/675266135855093/
All proceeds will be donated to girlrising.com, a global campaign for girls' education.
*The name of the group means "Western" or "non-Islamic" education is a sin. The group is active in the north of Nigeria, and wants to impose Islamic law as the only law in Nigeria.
