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| Malala Pic:BBC |
Malala Yousafzai, human
rights campaigner and youngest ever Nobel Prize winner, has written a passionate
letter to the Chibok girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram two years ago.
On April 14, 2014, the
militant Islamist group kidnapped 279 young girls from their school in Chibok,
a Local Government Area in Borno State. Many of the girls managed to escape on
their own but, two years later, 219 still remain missing.
Last week, CNN released
a “proof life” video that showed 15 of the girls in Boko Haram custody. Some
parents have identified the girls as being among those kidnapped and there is
fresh hope that the girls are still alive. But it has done little to ease the
pain and distress felt by the families of the kidnapped girls.
In the letter, Malala,
now 17, called on the Nigerian government and the international community to do
more and ensure the girls are rescued. Malala, who was shot in the head by a
Taliban gunman in 2012 for defying orders not to go school, commended the
parents of the Chibok girls for giving their daughters access to education.
This is not the first
time the young Pakistani activist has shown concern for the plight of the
Chibok girls. After their abduction, Malala had pushed for global
recognition of the girls and demanded Nigerian leaders take steps to return
them home.
Last year, she had
also written a letter to President Jonathan to ensure the girls were reunited
with their families.
Here is the letter in full:
To my brave sisters, the
kidnapped schoolgirls of Chibok,
On this first anniversary of
your captivity, I write to you with a message of solidarity, love and hope.
My name is Malala. I am a
Pakistani girl your age. I am one of the millions of people around the world
who keep you and your families foremost in our thoughts and prayers. We cannot
imagine the full extent of the horrors you have endured. But please know this:
We will never forget you. We will always stand with you. Today and every day,
we call on the Nigerian authorities and the international community to do more
to bring you home. We will not rest until you have been reunited with your
families.
Like you, I was a target of
militants who did not want girls to go to school. Gunmen shot me and two of my
friends on a school bus. All three of us survived and are back in school. Now
we speak out on behalf of all girls about the right to get a proper education.
Our campaign will continue until you and all girls and boys around the world
are able to access a free, safe and quality secondary education.
Last July, I spent my 17th
birthday in Nigeria with some of your parents and five of your classmates who
escaped the kidnapping. Your parents are grief-stricken. They love you, and
they miss you. My father and I wept and prayed with your parents -- and they
touched our hearts. The escapee schoolgirls my father and I met impressed us
with their resolve to overcome their challenges and to complete their high
school education. My father and I promised your parents and the girls who had
escaped that we would do all we could to help them. I met Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan and urged him to work harder for your freedom. I also asked
President Jonathan to meet your parents and the girls who escaped the
kidnapping, which he did a few days later. Still, in my opinion, Nigerian
leaders and the international community have not done enough to help you. They
must do much more to help secure your release. I am among many people
pressuring them to make sure you are freed.
There are reasons for hope
and optimism. Nigerian forces are re-gaining territory and protecting more
schools. Nigeria's newly-elected president, Muhammadu Buhari, has vowed to make
securing your freedom a top priority and promised his government will not tolerate
violence against women and girls.
"You will have the
opportunity to receive the education you want and deserve. The Malala Fund and
other organizations offered all your classmates who escaped the kidnapping full
scholarships to complete their secondary education. Most of the escapee girls
accepted this scholarship and are now continuing their studies at a safe
boarding school and with the support they need. We hope to someday extend that
same scholarship to all 219 of you, when you return home.
Remember that one day your
tragic ordeal will end, you will be reunited with your families and friends,
and you will have the chance to finish the education you courageously sought. I
look forward to the day I can hug each one of you, pray with you, and celebrate
your freedom with your families. Until then, stay strong, and never lose hope.
You are my heroes.
Your sister,
Malala
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