Wednesday, June 22, 2016

#800DaysOn: Why You Should Help Rescue the Chibok Girls


Gbemisola Adesanya, M.A. Candidate, Brooklyn College, CUNY


Today is Day 800 days after the April 14 2014 abduction of 276 girls from Girls Secondary School,  Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria by Boko Haram insurgents. Today more than ever, it bears emphasizing that the continuity of the #BringBackOurGirls movement is vital to the return of the 218 girls who remain in captivity . Unfortunately, the reality is that the movement is not half as strong as it was when it began two years ago.

Every successful mission requires a support system and the mission to rescue the Chibok girls is no different. Many people do not realize how fundamental the #BringBackOurGirls movement is to the return of the girls and the stability that has long deserted Nigeria. An unrelenting army of passionate people from all over the world and different walks of life raising strong unwavering voices for the girls will spur the Nigerian government to look for more effective means of rescuing our girls. By actively supporting the movement on a global scale, we are informing other nations that this problem must not be ignored. This way, other countries are encouraged to “actively” partner with the Nigerian government to rescue and return the girls to their families
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With your help, the #BringBackOurGirls movement will not only advocate the return of the girls, but also call for the rescue of other hostages of Boko Haram, known and unknown. With your assistance, the movement will engage in necessary partnerships to provide long-term care to the Chibok girls and all other heavily traumatized victims of the brutal insurgents.

Rescuing the Chibok girls will save them from the deadly, cowardly clutches of a violent and ruthless group that shamelessly hides behind young girls to fight their fierce, callous and cold-blooded assaults on innocent people. It is also a call for the provision of the essential long-term physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and psychological care they need to become stable again. These girls were taken from us innocent and guileless. No doubt, captivity has forced them to grow up quickly with deep scars that will take time and effort to heal.

You think you are just one person and you doubt that your participation can make a difference to the movement. But there are millions of people of good conscience in the world. If you all just stop doubting and start acting, the results will amaze you. Even the littlest of support or contribution can do the greatest of things or go the longest of ways.


Join the movement to help contribute to the healing that only you can make possible.

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