Shining bright like a diamond… Star! Welcome once again to another gist session where it’s always piping hot. I missed you! 

Guess what? Last weekend, Sunday to be precise, I was in my feelings, because as much as I wanted to celebrate the momentous day, I ended up staying in my bed virtually all day, bogged down with the weight of the sad reality I was confronted with as I scrolled through social media. 

October 11th was the International Day of the Girl Child. The theme for this year was: End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls Rights. And today, I want us to talk heart-to-heart about the reality of the girl child in Nigeria. Starting with a story that hits close to home.

The Vulnerable Girl Child 

There’s this brilliant 12-year-old girl who lives down my street. Let’s call her Blessing. We don’t interact that much, but I’ve noticed that she’s always up very early. Sometimes when I’m on my morning jog, I’d see this girl balancing a bucket of water on her head, coming from the community borehole which is quite a distance from her house. 

My heart twists inside my chest each time I see her. I mean, if she’s waking up that early, at least let it be to revise for a probable test coming up at school later in the day, not to begin with neck breaking work. 

It doesn’t end there. She has to wash all the used cups and plates from all the mess left by last night’s customers at her single mom’s mini bar. 

Blessing has a brain that naturally craves learning. It’s evident in how if she’s not working, her head is buried in a book. When she was in primary school, her mother would boast to friends that her teacher called her a genius because she could solve long division in her head before anyone else could open their exercise books. 

But three years ago, right after she passed her common entrance exams with flying colours, Blessing’s father died tragically in an explosion at the petrol station where he worked. With three younger siblings to feed, Blessing’s mother made the next logical yet painful decision: Blessing would go to a public secondary school only on the days she wasn’t working at her mother’s mini bar. 

I occasionally catch glimpses of the sadness in Blessing’s eyes when she passes by me on the street. I can tell she is exhausted. Her childhood has essentially been stolen from her. My skin crawls at the thought that there’s a chance that one of those slimy older men who frequent that bar might lay claim on her. After all, her mother does nothing to ward off the catcalls, leering eyes, wandering hands and many innuendos by men old enough to be her father calling her “my wife”.

Before your blood boils as hot as mine did as I wrote that preceding sentence, this was a made up story. But it being fiction doesn’t negate the fact that this is one variant of the reality of countless young girls in Nigeria today. 

The Cold, Hard Reality

Don’t take my word for it. Let’s look at reputable data from international organizations like UNICEF and UNESCO. The figures reveal a deep, systemic crisis:

• 1 in 3 Nigerian Girls Marries Before 18: According to UNICEF data, roughly 33% of young women in Nigeria are married before their 18th birthday. Nigeria is home to over 24 million child brides, making it the third-highest globally.

• 122 Million Girls Out of School Globally: UNESCO reports that over 122 million girls worldwide are denied access to education. In sub-Saharan Africa, poverty, safety concerns, and cultural norms continue to push girls out of the classroom and into early labor or marriage.

• 12 Million Child Brides Every Year: Globally, UNICEF estimates that 12 million girls under 18 are married each year—meaning every minute, 23 young girls lose their childhood and their education to early marriage.

• Education vs. Child Marriage: Studies consistently show that keeping a girl in secondary school reduces her risk of child marriage by over 60%. A girl with a book in her hand is a girl empowered to protect her own future.

Let’s put it this way: A girl child belongs in the classroom, not in the labour room. She deserves books in her hands, not a baby on her back.

Thankfully, this year’s Day of the Girl Child celebration saw the Nigerian government putting some policy effort aimed at the girl child.

The Lagos State Government marked it this year at LASUED, Oto-Ijanikin, with a call to end child marriage and invest in girls in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), plus mentorship and protection from harmful practices.

The Federal Government also used the day to announce the launch of a National Strategy and Costed Action Plan for Ending Child Marriage in Kano.

How Fair Life Africa Foundation Steps Into the Gap 

We believe that policy needs grassroots implementation. This is why Fair Life Africa Foundation exists. We refuse to let life mess up the bright futures of girls like Blessing. And the great part is that you can be a tool of hope! You don’t need a fortune to change a girl’s life. You just need the heart to act.

Through our targeted programs detailed below, we work directly on the ground in Lagos to remove the financial and social obstacles holding girls back.

1. The Disadvantage to Advantage (D2A) Initiative: We identify vulnerable children at risk of dropping out of school. You can be linked to a girl and sponsor her specific, calculated education package for the academic term, ensuring her seat in the classroom is secure. To get linked, send a message to +234 805 87 111 25 or email us at support @ fairlifeafrica.org.

Support now by donating here: 

Account Name: FAIR LIFE AFRICA FOUNDATION – Bank Name: FCMB – Account Number 2000998672

Alternatively, you can donate to us securely via our GlobalGiving project page at https://globalgiving.org/projects/18330

2. The Big Brother (or Sister) Initiative : We have students in higher education who need to be paired with a Big Brother or Sister. As a Big Brother (Sister), you can sponsor their further education by making regular donations to help settle academic fees. You can also make your support go further with mentorship.

Caring mentors guide them through career choices, build their confidence, and help them navigate young adulthood. This is particularly crucial for the blooming girl child who needs even more guidance to believe in themselves and break through in male dominated fields. Can you give 20 minutes of your time a month to show one girl that someone believes in her dreams?

Send an email to support @ fairlifeafrica.org to get linked to a student today!

3. The Spring Initiative: When sudden emergencies strike a family, like the sudden death of the breadwinner (like in Blessing’s story), The Spring Initiative can step in with emergency relief so that a family doesn’t have to sacrifice a daughter’s education to survive. We get appeals constantly and rely on faithful donors and partners to offer relief.

Give towards this noble cause here: 

Account Name: Fair Life Africa Foundation (The Spring Initiative) – Bank Name: FCMB – Account Number: 2001005283

Remember, when you educate a girl, you aren’t just changing one life. You are helping to lift her entire family, community, and nation out of poverty. Let’s make sure no girl has to trade her textbooks for a hawking tray or a husband’s bed ever again.

Until next week, spread some love to a girl child. It is more blessed to give than to receive! 

Keep shining!  

— Prazo