14-YEAR OLD MARTHA* IS FROM NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA
Read Martha's poems below.
AFRICAN GIRL
You come to this world with little or no value
Attached to you
But your counterpart the boys
Valuable and precious
They give birth to a male child
Chanting and merriment
Caring for the mother
For that purpose
Only at that particular time
Giving birth to a female child
Shallow. Camouflage smiles
As if they will question God.
With that effect no caring no protection
If I see my God
I will beg him
Stop giving them female child
When they realise they can’t succeed
Ayşe Nur Gençalp / Save the Children Türkiye
EDUCATION
A girl beautiful and intelligent
They are discriminated
They are not given the opportunity to be educated
They left to feed for herself on the streets
They do not have access to even medical care
They are exposed to brutality
These beautiful and intelligent girls
During conflicts they are treated like farm animals
During conflicts they are forced to horrifying acts of violence
These beautiful and intelligent girls
They are being forced into great hands
That shatter lies
And the hands that thwarted their dreams in the past
