“BUILD YOURSELVES TODAY TO PREPARE FOR GREATNESS TOMORROW”, DR. ORTOM CHARGES GIRLS ON INT’L DAY FOR GIRLS.

Eunice Spring of Life Foundation (ESLF) will continue to give the needed support to girls and women in Benue State and beyond to enable them achieve their aspirations in life.

Founder of ESLF and First Lady of Benue State made this commitment today at an event organised by the Foundation at Community Secondary School, Apir Makurdi to mark this year’s International Day of the Girl Child.

Dr. Ortom who pointed out that the United Nations had set aside October 11th to commemorate the day across the world to acknowledge the challenges girls face such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early child marriage, early motherhood, restriction to education and lack of access to health services which potentially impede their development and seek solution to them.

She noted that ESLF was using the occasion to celebrate the value of the Benue girl child confident in the belief that she would contribute her quota to the development of the state and expressed joy that the Benue girl child had recognised her value and self-worth and demonstrated faith to achieve greatness.“The girl child has the capacity to be what she wants to be and I enjoin all stakeholders to give them the right opportunities and skills to actualize those potentials”, she said.

The First Lady admonished girls to rise above the phantom barriers created by social construct and not see themselves as people who cannot actualize their potentials “just because someone made them feel so”.

Dr. Ortom reminded girls that like every other person, they too were endowed with certain inalienable rights which should boost their audacity and assertiveness to aspire for greatness tomorrow through getting the right education today.

Now, she said was the time to set those goals that would help them climb the ladder of success in life and admonished them to have role models they would look up to who can spur them to success.

The ESLF Founder stressed the need to have the right mindset, character, competence, skills, positive curiosity and develop the habit of reading in order to fight the darkness of ignorance and its attendant dangers.

Dr. Ortom, who is a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) Ambassador also urged them to shun drug and substance abuse which is capable of destroying their health and derailing their academic pursuits.

She appreciated boys who show commitment to supporting the girl child and urged them to imbibe that noble value and grow with it to complement and support girls to add more value to society.

Also speaking at the event, President of the Students Union Government of Benue State University, Comrade Agatha Aker who thanked the Governor’s wife for her commitment to women and the girl child, charged girls to see themselves as leaders.

Comrade Aker urged girls to develop the guts to push for what is right, keep their eyes on the goal and celebrate other girls who were making modest effort in various fields of endeavor.

Echoing the theme of the day’s celebration, the Head Girl of the School, Belamo Seember Zoe reminded all that truly “Now was the time for girls” and described Dr. Ortom as an inspiration and a role model to her and many girls.

In their various remarks, the School Principal, Mr Jerry Akya as well as the District Head of Ugondo Community, Zaki Terseer Ihwuakar commended the goodwork the ESLF Founder had accomplished through her Foundation.

Giving a general overview of the annual celebration, ESLF’s Programme Officer, Education and Research, Mr. Iyam Liga explained that the United Nations General Assembly had on 19th December 2011, set aside October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child and called on girls to overcome the challenges holding them back.

Other high points of the event were talks on Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) by the Programme Manager, ESLF Mr. Tine Agernor and Nguher Igboko another Officer of the Foundation.

The theme of the International Day of the Girl Child 2022 is, “Our Time is Now, Our Rights, Our Future”.