By Yvette Le Grew
As every day passes, the wait for the 300 kidnapped Nigerian school girls becomes more and more distressing while the outcry against these vile acts grows louder and reaches further with support spanning the far corners of the globe.
Background:
On April 15, 276 Nigerian school girls were abducted from a school in the city of Chibok – widely known as the most dangerous region in Nigeria. Part of a larger group of male and female students, the girls were set to take their Senior School Certificate Examination (the main English language standardization tests in West Africa used for University admissions) on the day of abduction. Along with 43 male students who were, not long ago, kidnapped from neighbouring Yobe, and a further 8 young girls who were taken by armed militants in the village of Warabe on May 6th, the young students have allegedly been targeted by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, for practicing ‘western’ ideals.
Boko Haram (meaning ‘Western educations is sinful/forbidden) was declared a terrorist group in 2013 by the US Government for wanting to overthrow the Nigerian government and install an Islamist state. As Boko Haram has grown bolder in their attacks on students and other civilians, the Nigerian government and military have been unable to stop them. Leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, has taken responsibility for the group kidnappings, saying in a recently released video; “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah”. As fear continues to grow for the safety of the missing girls, rumours abound that, if alive, they may be sold as brides for as little as $12.
Internationally, outrage and widespread condemnation has spanned across the globe and prompted political figures like Michelle Obama, celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Angelina Jolie, Alicia Keys, Cara Delvigne, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Justin Timberlake, Bradley Cooper and many other high-profile personalities, not to mention the public en masse, to speak out about these atrocities in a united attempt to help raise awareness and return the girls safely to their families. Locally, Nigerian women have been protesting in vast numbers against the government’s slow-to-respond efforts to find the missing girls, but this has been met by an underwhelming response from the Nigerian government.
Watch Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy of UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, as she expressed her outrage at the situation in Nigeria.
How You Can Help:
1. Join the Social Media/Twitter Campaign:
Tweet your support using these hashtags: #bringourgirlsback #stolendreams #realmendontbuywomen
2. Sign the two main petitions: Change.org’s petition & Whitehouse.gov petition
3. Support Economic Recovery Efforts in the Region by…
Supporting relief organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Nigerian Red Cross Society
Donate to Amnesty International
Support the Women’s Consortium of Nigeria who address women’s rights and help make the country a safer place for women
Donate to Chime for Change who work to campaign for girls’ education worldwide and have set up a Nigerian Girl’s Fund specifically to help.
Join thecarousel.com in our support to save these girls now! Share this story using the social media links on the left including #BringBackOurGirls and let your friends know they can help too.
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