this is Adama she grew up in Sierra Leone she’s 16 years old and she is
Leone she’s 16 years old and she is
Leone she’s 16 years old and she is pregnant
pregnant
pregnant Adama was forced into a lemn marriage by
Adama was forced into a lemn marriage by
Adama was forced into a lemn marriage by her parents she never had anybody to
her parents she never had anybody to
her parents she never had anybody to stand up for her her parents did not
stand up for her her parents did not
stand up for her her parents did not have the financial means to send her to
have the financial means to send her to
have the financial means to send her to school so they thought the only option
school so they thought the only option
school so they thought the only option they had was to send her into a man’s
they had was to send her into a man’s
they had was to send her into a man’s house Adama is now a housewife a child
house Adama is now a housewife a child
house Adama is now a housewife a child about to give birth to her own child her
about to give birth to her own child her
about to give birth to her own child her destiny was decided from birth so will
destiny was decided from birth so will
destiny was decided from birth so will her unborn child if she turns out to be
her unborn child if she turns out to be
her unborn child if she turns out to be a girl let’s imagine this you as a young
a girl let’s imagine this you as a young
a girl let’s imagine this you as a young girl thinking of who you want to become
girl thinking of who you want to become
girl thinking of who you want to become in the future and suddenly somebody
in the future and suddenly somebody
in the future and suddenly somebody gives you a tap on your shoulder and say
gives you a tap on your shoulder and say
gives you a tap on your shoulder and say sorry girl your future stops here
sorry girl your future stops here
sorry girl your future stops here and the next thing you know you find
and the next thing you know you find
and the next thing you know you find yourself in a man’s house who is 40
yourself in a man’s house who is 40
yourself in a man’s house who is 40 years older than you the importance of
years older than you the importance of
years older than you the importance of education cannot be overemphasized
education cannot be overemphasized
education cannot be overemphasized education is considered as a human right
education is considered as a human right
education is considered as a human right that should be accorded to all human
that should be accorded to all human
that should be accorded to all human beings fatmata Lavetta Cece she grew up
beings fatmata Lavetta Cece she grew up
beings fatmata Lavetta Cece she grew up in Sierra Leone from a small village
in Sierra Leone from a small village
in Sierra Leone from a small village called Ilya she grew up like any other
called Ilya she grew up like any other
called Ilya she grew up like any other village girl doing house shows her
village girl doing house shows her
village girl doing house shows her parents sent her to a boarding school
parents sent her to a boarding school
parents sent her to a boarding school when she was 16 years old where she
when she was 16 years old where she
when she was 16 years old where she completed her secondary school and at
completed her secondary school and at
completed her secondary school and at the age of 19 she had the opportunity to
the age of 19 she had the opportunity to
the age of 19 she had the opportunity to go to Angela University of Sierra Leone
go to Angela University of Sierra Leone
go to Angela University of Sierra Leone from 2001 to 2004 she had her PhD in
from 2001 to 2004 she had her PhD in
from 2001 to 2004 she had her PhD in economics fatmata SI se is now working
economics fatmata SI se is now working
economics fatmata SI se is now working for the United Nations she has traveled
for the United Nations she has traveled
for the United Nations she has traveled to more than 40 countries and some of
to more than 40 countries and some of
to more than 40 countries and some of those countries more than once I know
those countries more than once I know
those countries more than once I know you all will be wondering who this woman
you all will be wondering who this woman
you all will be wondering who this woman well she is my mother let’s look at
well she is my mother let’s look at
well she is my mother let’s look at another scenario the first elected
another scenario the first elected
another scenario the first elected female president of Liberia Ellen
female president of Liberia Ellen
female president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf but in Ellen’s days in
Johnson Sirleaf but in Ellen’s days in
Johnson Sirleaf but in Ellen’s days in school she faced so many challenges but
school she faced so many challenges but
school she faced so many challenges but she knew what she wanted and where she
she knew what she wanted and where she
she knew what she wanted and where she wanted to go in life she defeated all
wanted to go in life she defeated all
wanted to go in life she defeated all odds she stood her ground and went to
odds she stood her ground and went to
odds she stood her ground and went to school back in those days we’re told
school back in those days we’re told
school back in those days we’re told that a woman cannot lead a particular
that a woman cannot lead a particular
that a woman cannot lead a particular nation but Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
nation but Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
nation but Ellen Johnson Sirleaf broke the record when she was a child
broke the record when she was a child
broke the record when she was a child she never imagined herself being a
she never imagined herself being a
she never imagined herself being a president but for the fact that she went
president but for the fact that she went
president but for the fact that she went to school she defeated all odds and she
to school she defeated all odds and she
to school she defeated all odds and she never listened to whatever people say
never listened to whatever people say
never listened to whatever people say she did it and now this is the benefit
she did it and now this is the benefit
she did it and now this is the benefit now we have seen the difference between
now we have seen the difference between
now we have seen the difference between these people
these people
these people fadna Tolliver TSSAA stood on hard
fadna Tolliver TSSAA stood on hard
fadna Tolliver TSSAA stood on hard ground her parents believed in education
ground her parents believed in education
ground her parents believed in education and she went to school despite all the
and she went to school despite all the
and she went to school despite all the challenges she faced but remember it was
challenges she faced but remember it was
challenges she faced but remember it was not a safe Adam and never wanted to do
not a safe Adam and never wanted to do
not a safe Adam and never wanted to do the same she was forced into it she
the same she was forced into it she
the same she was forced into it she never had the opportunity to sit in a
never had the opportunity to sit in a
never had the opportunity to sit in a classroom with her book and her pen
classroom with her book and her pen
classroom with her book and her pen among her peers to all the girls in this
among her peers to all the girls in this
among her peers to all the girls in this auditorium today I am pleading with you
auditorium today I am pleading with you
auditorium today I am pleading with you and I want you to know that there is no
and I want you to know that there is no
and I want you to know that there is no boy at this particular point in time
boy at this particular point in time
boy at this particular point in time that is too cute than your books stand
that is too cute than your books stand
that is too cute than your books stand on your feet go to school meet your
on your feet go to school meet your
on your feet go to school meet your target grades and be who you want to be
target grades and be who you want to be
target grades and be who you want to be in the future you’re not doing it for
in the future you’re not doing it for
in the future you’re not doing it for your parents but you are doing it for
your parents but you are doing it for
your parents but you are doing it for yourself to have a saint in society one
yourself to have a saint in society one
yourself to have a saint in society one day and to all the parents I am pleading
day and to all the parents I am pleading
day and to all the parents I am pleading with you to send those girls to school
with you to send those girls to school
with you to send those girls to school because they are off
because they are off
because they are off ladies you as a mother or as a father
ladies you as a mother or as a father
ladies you as a mother or as a father you will be proud to say she is my
you will be proud to say she is my
you will be proud to say she is my daughter
daughter
daughter you will need somebody to stand up for
you will need somebody to stand up for
you will need somebody to stand up for you when the time arises and it should
you when the time arises and it should
you when the time arises and it should be that particular child that will have
be that particular child that will have
be that particular child that will have to do it by sending those girls to
to do it by sending those girls to
to do it by sending those girls to school we will not only shape the future
school we will not only shape the future
school we will not only shape the future of Sierra Leone but shape the future of
of Sierra Leone but shape the future of
of Sierra Leone but shape the future of Africa as a whole we can have lawyers we
Africa as a whole we can have lawyers we
Africa as a whole we can have lawyers we can have doctors we can have engineers
can have doctors we can have engineers
can have doctors we can have engineers and it starts with the children because
and it starts with the children because
and it starts with the children because as I said earlier on they are our future
as I said earlier on they are our future
as I said earlier on they are our future generation so I urge each and every one
generation so I urge each and every one
generation so I urge each and every one of you to put our hands together in
of you to put our hands together in
of you to put our hands together in accelerating quality and access
accelerating quality and access
accelerating quality and access education to go child world world thank
education to go child world world thank
education to go child world world thank you
you
you [Applause]
”
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