By Sumaila Ogbaje
The National Defence College Officers Wives Association (NDCOWA), on Friday sensitised the female students of NDC Secondary School to the need to pursue their dreams in commemoration of International Day of Girl Child.
International Day of the Girl Child is an international observance day declared by the United Nations first celebrated on Oct. 11, 2012.
The observation supports more opportunity for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender.
The Coordinator of NDCOWA and Wife of the Commandant of NDC, Mrs Rhoda Olotu, said the programme was aimed at educating the girl children to pursue their dreams and careers, as well as encourage them.
According to her, gone are the days where girls are relegated to the kitchen, when women’s duty is only to have children.
“These days we have female pilots, military personnel, doctors, engineers, and in all spheres of life, and they are doing very well.
“As women, or as a girl child, when we are given tasks to carry out, we carry out our duties and responsibilities even more than the men, because we are multitasking.
“A woman can do ten things at the same time.
“A woman has ten hands, she doesn’t just have two hands but ten hands.
“So as a girl child, I am just here to encourage you to please pursue your dreams. If you want to be a doctor, do not allow anything hold you back,” she said.
Olotu urged the children to be focused by being obedient to the instructions of their parents and teachers while studying hard.
She also sensitised the girls to always clean up themselves to avoid body odour as well as maintain proper hiegine.
She used the event to educate the girls on the use of sanitary pad and other requirements needed to keep them clean and safe.
The Provost, NDC Centre of Strategic Research and Studies, Prof. Adam Ahmed, commended the association for organising the event and appreciated the commandant for being creative and innovative.
Ahmed said the event had provided a rare opportunity for the girls to be what they want to become, adding that he believed in the ability of the girl child.
“You have everything it takes to realise your dream, to be one of the best in whatever career you take.
“For two-year consecutively, or three-year consecutively, the best graduating cadet in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) were females.
“So it means even at that level, at that military university level, the girls are not doing bad. They are doing exceptionally very good.
“So you can tell yourself, I’m going to be very, very good,” he said.
The resource person, Dr Jumoke Jenyo, of the Department of Conflict, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Studies, NDC, urged the girl children to believe in themselves, have defined vision and be what they want to be.
Jenyo said that the girl children had the capacity to be better than their male counterpart in all endeavors.
She urged them to write their visions in form of who they want to be one, as well as the future and change they want to see.
“It is not enough that you have a dream,you must work to achieve it
“As you are growing up, you must prepare yourself because there are challenges but you must see those challenegs as your stepping stone,” she said.
The event was climaxed with the distribution of packs of toiletries to the students. (NAN)