Girl Summit 2014: Recap, Reflection & Conclusion
Writing this blog has been tough. Not in a bad way. Just in a - how on earth do I explain to you how incredible the last week has been, how proud I have been on both a personal and professional level, and how it seems that right now there is a buzz that real change is on the horizon and that we can stop Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage in a generation.
Personal Level
On a personal level, I have been so proud to see Alice and Alfred, the two youth delegates from Sierra Leone that I spoke about in my last blog, take centre stage in many events this week. They have been inspiring through their speech and sharing their experiences. From taking part in #YouthForChange, to participating in the Girl Summit, to speaking with various radio and TV interviewers, Alice and Alfred have been asking tough questions to people who, to be quite frank, I myself wouldn’t be brave enough to ask questions.
Their amazing chaperone Victor is going to work with them on a blog so you can hear in their own words what it has been like, but for now let me tell you a few reasons why I am so proud.
Alice and Alfred participated in the #YouthForChange event alongside 170 youths from around the UK and the world last Saturday. This was their opportunity to bring the voices from children in their community to London. The #YouthForChange team spoke to me after the event and said how impressed they were with Alice and Alfred’s enthusiasm and passion, and with the work that they had already done in their communities to stop FGM and child marriage.
At the very start of their trip, Alfred and Alice both told me that they wanted not only to use their experiences to educate people, but also to learn from others. At the end of each day, it was fantastic hearing them speak about the ideas and knowledge that they had gained. I loved that they were, in Alfred’s words, specifically learning about how to be “people that bring change in other people.”
Girl Summit
Words fail me to tell you how proud we should all be of both Alice and Alfred on the day of the Girl Summit. Not only did they both give inspiring and insightful press interviews, but they also took the opportunity to discuss their amazing work with many of the event’s attendees. Alfred even asked a superb question in front of a few hundred people –how would the UK’s Girl Summit commitments become a reality in Sierra Leone! By the end of the day, they were both so energised and excited about this movement for change that it was utterly infectious to anyone who was near them.
Please do keep an eye out for their blog so that you can hear about their experiences in their own words, and how they are planning to take what they have learned back to Sierra Leone. More importantly, make sure to continue to follow their journey to see how these amazing individuals continue to change their communities, and their country.
Professional Level
On a professional level, I have been so proud to work with World Vision UK. We have been a part of this movement to mobilise change - to stand up and say that we are committed to ending FGM and child marriage in a generation. I am proud that we have signed the Girl Summit Charter on ending FGM and child, early and forced marriage. I was also exceedingly proud to see our CEO Justin Byworth, stand up in front of hundreds and outline our commitments. These commitments include the fact that we will continue to empower children just like Alice and Alfred in other communities and make sure that it’s children’s voices that are at the heart of this work.
This week marked the start of a movement to mobilise support for ending FGM and child marriage. Alfred and Alice spoke for hundreds of children back in their community. Hearing those voices, I really believe that this is a change that is going to happen. And that makes me so incredibly happy.