{{Armed with recording equipment, notebooks and laptops full of questions, and aspirations of girls from all over Rwanda, Ritha and Cecile—journalists from Ni Nyampinga Magazine and the weekly Ni Nyampinga Radio program—headed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to be part of the largest international event to focus on the advancement of girls and women, Women Deliver 2013. }}
During the event, the young journalists interviewed global leaders including Maria Eitel, President of the Nike Foundation, Chelsea Clinton from the Clinton Foundation, Cathy Kalvin UN Foundation President, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda World YWCA General Secretary, Holly Gordon producer of Girl Rising, and Barbara Bush co-founder of Global Health Corps:
“We invest in girls because women and girls are half the population of the world. So if you want the society to grow, you have to empower [them].
You [Ni Nyampinga journalists] are an incredible example of leaders that are adding your voice to the [global] conversation and using your platforms of radio and media to effect dialogue in your country and around the world.” – Barbra Bush
They also interviewed EmmanuellaManjolo a 13 year-old girl champion from Malawi who shared challenges girls in her country are facing especially when it comes to child marriage and education and how she was at the conference to represent all Malawian girls.
This conference presented an exceptional opportunity to have girls participate in high-level discussions with global influencers that affect their lives and their futures so directly.
The girls engaged in plenary sessions and other conference events, and asked questions and contributed their thoughts directly during sessions and during the Youth Pre-Conference events.
Under the Girl Tree, they talked to Maria Eitel and engaged her in a discussion about her plans for getting Rwandan girls on the post-2015 agenda.
The Girl Tree was full of aspirations and goals from girls from all over the world that will be used in the development of the Girl Declaration—girls’ voice for the Post-2015 agenda.
Over a thousand participants signed on in support of getting girlsin the next set of development goals.
Through their involvement in Ni Nyampinga, Ritha and Cecile delivered messages directly to those who affect their lives from girls just like them in Rwanda.
At the same time, they’vebrought back answers to questions about how girls in Rwanda can become future leaders and achieve their dreams.
Leave a Reply