Current Event #9

Nigerian girl who escaped Boko Haram says she still feels afraid

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/13949706770

On April 15th, up to 300 Nigerian teenage girls were kidnapped from their school by the belligerent terrorist organization, Boko Haram. Attacks on the Nigerian schools have taken place before by the Boko Haram gang. Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, scheme is to sell the young women into marriage and as sex slaves. The girls that have been abducted say that they have been transported to Chad or Cameroon, but some have succeeded in escape. These girls that were able to evade the enslavement are now left with the haunting remembrance of foul actions and the loss of their precious innocence. CNN reporters were actually able to travel to the location of where the hostages were abducted, Chibok, Nigeria. There they discovered frightening extremist group did to the girls, and one young women in particular. The girl describes the whole traumatic incident and how she managed to steer clear of the danger. She states that she "...feels afraid" to even return to school grounds (CNN). Many precautions are being made in Nigeria, as well as internationally. Nigeria's military has created a perimeter around the boarders of Abuja and Chibok. The soldiers will usually ask for a passport, or search the vehicle to make sure that everything is safe. Internationally the United States is giving full support to the Nigerian natives in order to recover the location of the missing girls. Additionally, rescue missions are in effect through both the United States and British officials. Boko Haram has brought a tremendous amount of violence in turmoil upon the citizens of Nigeria, and nearly 2,000 of them have died because of it. Attacks are beginning to rise, as well as heated disputes on the genuine location of the girls. Bringing hope and spreading the prayers across the world, the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls shares the immense condolences people have for this devastating event. Michelle Obama has also joined the number of people following the trend. She expressed that Boko Haram is "determined to keep [the] girls from getting an education".

This topic honesty doesn't connect with anything that is going on in school, or with anything that I am learning at the time. This event does, however, relate to me being a young women in school and being aware that in some parts of the world, seeking and obtaining and education can be quite the struggle. I am luck enough to be able to live in a place with an exceptional and safe environment to absorb the foundations of a good education. Unfortunately, some girls don't have that some privilege. It makes me heartbroken to think of all the potential being lost because of the ignorant denying them of the opportunity to have an educational background.

This event is the utmost sickening and a horrific aspect of what all women can fall victim to. It has become common in some countries where women are only looked upon as items, or as a belonging. I feel as though sometimes women and men will never be treated equally unless critical measures are executed. Boko Haram's actions stands as a reminder that women are only property in their eyes, and oppose the distribution of education for women. This is the reason why they targeted mostly schools to prey on the casualties. Women of Nigeria make up almost "85 million" of the whole population; "170 million" (CNN). Without the proper education that these women need, almost half of the population won't be as successful and the country will most likely fail in thriving for the future generations. Giving the voice to men won't be as loud as when you put both women and men together. The version of the future Boko Haram that is trying to be enforced should not influence women and girls around the world to succumb to. An immense amount of support for the return of the girls has sparked an inspiring sign for a brighter future for all girls and women. This is not only in Nigeria, but around the world, giving hope and empowering women to purse what they desire in life. This incident affects me in a way where it motivates me in constructing a better life for myself, and show that I can be the best at what I want to achieve.

Shot Answer Response
What is the central idea of the passage and how is it developed and refined throughout the selection?

The central idea of the passage was to stress the happenings in Chibok, Nigeria. It gives updates such the experience the girl had when escaping from Boko Haram and also from villagers from the town and what they experienced. This is shown when the girls states that she "...ran into the bush. [She] ran and [she] ran" (CNN). The article also talks about the attempts in finding the girls through multiple actions such as through the military and International help. The United States stated that they would do "everything [they] can to determine the girls location" (CNN). The article also covers the violence and panic Nigeria is experiencing at the moment. It states that over "2,000 people have died in violence in northern Nigeria..." (CNN). In the end the passage discusses the #BringBackOurGirls trend that is spreading through social media in hopes of recovering the abducted. Even Pope Francis tweeted saying "Let us all join in prayer for the immediate release of the schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria" with the hashtag (CNN). 

Citations

Matthews , Nina. "#BRING BACK OUR GIRLS ~ Michelle OBAMA." Photograph. Flickr. Yahoo!, 8 May 2014. Web. 11 May 2014. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N>.

Carter, Chelsea. "CNN exclusive: Nigerian girl who escaped Boko Haram says she still feels afraid." CNN. Cable News Network, 11 May 2014. Web. 11 May 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/11/world/africa/nigeria-escaped-schoolgirl-speaks/index.html>.