"A Girl's Dream": Girls Share How Education Is Key to Achieving Their Full Potential

Fatima’s* Dream

“If you are not educated, you cannot achieve your dream. Education can help me become a professional engineer in the future. To get villages transformed by providing them with electricity.

“My future without education would be destroyed.

“If all girls were educated, there would be more women pilots and doctors.”

Lydia’s* Dream

“The majority of children in my community are not attending school. The reason is that none of their family members have ever gone to school. I am fortunate to be attending school, and I am going to stand up and make a change in my community and help my fellow girls.”

Mary’s* Dream

“Education is the key to success. Without education, there wouldn’t be any doctors, nurses, lawyers.

“Education can help me do anything that I want in life, like my dream of being a farmer. If you are not educated, you cannot go far.

“There would be change if all girls were educated, because if you educate a girl, you educate a whole nation. “

Karina’s* Dream

“My dream is to become a journalist and education is helping me achieve this dream. Education can help me educate the people in my community about the effects of surface mining and bush burning. Education is helping me see the importance of good research, reporting and writing the truth.”

Terese’s Dream

“When I grow up, I would like to be the children’s welfare officer. I would like to fight for the rights of children, especially for girls, who suffer most in the community. Some parents refuse to take girls to school, but they take boys only. It’s time to tell the world that a girl is a very important person. They will be the mothers of tomorrow.”

*All names have been changed to protect girls’ identities