By Judith Dumbutshena, Link Communicator, Sector of South Africa
We celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child in our ministries with powerful poem recitations written and performed by the girls themselves, shedding light on the challenges they face in our country. These heartfelt expressions brought joy and inspiration to all present as we came together to honor their strength and resilience.
Fourteen-year-old Okuhle and 17-year-old Athabile highlighted the importance of safeguarding for girls by emphasizing that protecting them from violence, abuse, and harassment is the responsibility of all.
In one ministry, the girls (aged between 3 and 6 years old) gathered to watch an episode of the film, ‘Sofia the First,’ to inspire them with the message that “she can,” reinforcing the importance of embracing their uniqueness and strength.
Lilitha, also fourteen years of age, spoke about how empowering and investing in girls today will lead to a brighter future for all tomorrow. She emphasized that through education and equal opportunities, girls have the power to lead and drive sustainable change in their communities and beyond.
Ending violence against girls was the theme of a poem by a 15-year-old Asemahle. The words speak about how fear and abuse hinder girls from realizing their full potential and how speaking out, supporting each other, and creating a safer environment can transform their lives.
17-year-old Uyathandwa, emphasised in her poem how strong mental health allows girls to stand up for their rights and take their place in society with confidence.
While, 14-year-old Quintonique addressed the issue of online safety, mentioning the dangers of digital platforms, where many girls are vulnerable to harassment and exploitation. She stressed the importance of teaching girls to navigate online spaces safely, seeking help when necessary.
Aware that the way women are treated in the future is shaped by boys and men, we held a gentleman’s class for boys between 3 and 6 to teach them kindness and respect toward their female peers and to share in this international celebration of the girl child!
Safeguarding for girls
By 14-year-old Okuhle
Safeguarding is the responsibility of all.
Respecting our rights should be a norm in society,
but our rights are still violated by those whom we love, those whom we know, those whom we don’t know and those whom we care about.
We should speak out, break the silence and make safeguarding part of our daily life.
Do not silence our voices,
Protect our rights,
Speak out and break the cycle of abuse…
I am a girl
by Modisa Yo O Molemo Day Care Centre
I am a girl,
Before you harm me,
Think of the life I bring.
I am valuable
STOP abusing me
STOP harassing me
STOP trafficking me
BECAUSE I GIVE LIFE!
Sustainable development
by 14-year-old Lilitha
As girls, we have dreams, dreams of being what we want to be,
Achieving what we want to achieve.
A saying goes “Empowering a woman, is empowering a nation”,
As girls we have the power to lead, the power to make a difference.
Stop the violence against girls
by 15-year-old Asemahle
Some girls live in fear, fear for being beaten up, fear for not doing or saying the right thing
Don’t be afraid, speak out and be the exposer
I am human, I am fragile
Do not make me a punching bag
Your rage does not scare me anymore
I have decided to step up and speak out
Join me in breaking the silence
Join me in shattering the chain of violence
Together, we rise
Together, we heal
Together, we create a world where girls can live without fear
A world where girls are valued, respected, and protected
Education empowers, not excludes
Equality is the norm, not the exception
Justice is served, not denied
We are the leaders, we are the voices
Together, we rise
Together, we heal
Together, we create a brighter future
Online safety
by 14-year-old Quintonique
This platform can do most harm when your feelings or emotions are low
We think that this platform is there to help us feel better by reading and browsing
Cowards make use of this platform to humiliate us, to discriminate against us, to embarrass us
Breaking us down, making empty promises
And making us press or send responses which are used to exploit us
Rather press a “help” button asking for help
Stop the harassment from those who want to hurt you
Don’t open up yourself to get hurt, rather get help
The uprising survivor
by 17-year-old Athabile
Powerful bright like nature
But yet a weapon to destroy our beating hearts bleeding
And our eyes wet
Messages crawl at night to hold our breathe,
knocking at our doors at night, to invade our secret space
in modern days we call it social media
Rise and shine young lady
I know this poem is eligible to read
But it’s time we tell ourselves
We have no desire to fit in, no plans to walk with the crowd
Only the mindset to embrace who we are
Our mental health matters, keep going
For me, there’s hunger for adventure
For my heart, there’s a race I’m close to winning
Where a young leader rises to make a difference
With sustainable development I can achieve my dreams
Safeguarding, such a big word to be ignored
But nowadays our rights are stunted by society
But why do we keep being silent?
Shivering in the dark corners of our rooms
We weep, blue and black we are left
Punching bags we are made, I can feel my old friend “fear”
Ready to crush me, but not today
‘Cause I have learned to fly
I’ve climbed the highest mountain
Felt the extreme pain, stood in the hardest rain
Took the beatings of a cane
So now it’s time to loom against my ogres
Today I choose to speak out
And let the world dream
Let it be known that I have risen!
Mental Health
by 17-year-old Uyathandwa
Our mental health is what’s keeping us going and moving forward
As girls and women, we should embrace whop we are
We should embrace our values and our place in society
If our mental health is unstable, which causes us to be vulnerable, we become a statistic
Meaning our rights, our place in society, will mean nothing to others
We will be disrespected by others
Your mental health is a priority, your strength, to rise up and shine.
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