Give the girl child a chance
Oh give the girl child a chance
Gone are the days when boys were referred to as ‘noba’(humans)
And girls were referred to as ‘boma’(things)
Boma indeed, give the girl child a chance
‘Boma’, so she has to balance on her head
Some pieces of firewood for cooking
A bucket of water for washing and cooking
The girl child is not just for washing and cooking
So give the girl child a chance
She must carry her baby brother
On her little and fragile back
Because mother has another baby
And father is not well so
Give the girl child a chance.
Mother is busy with other things
So she runs errands, washes clothes, Irons them
Sweeps the compound cooks for the family
And cleans the house
Now is the time to give the girl child a chance.
Some time ago, when the boy was in school
The girl child was at home
The saying by the parents was that your place is the kitchen
That time is passed and gone, never to come again
So give the girl child a chance.
Yes give the girl child a chance
Why is the boy outside playing?
While the girl child is doing all the house chores
The girl child needs to relax just as the boy does
So give the girl child a chance.
Give the girl child a chance
Gone are the days when you made the girl child pregnant
Sometimes denying the pregnancy
While the boy continues with his education
Now the girl child is awake so give the girl child a chance
Oh! You rapist! That innocent girl
Is too young for that act
The girl child needs to grow, grow up into a
Healthy, Responsible woman and wife
Who can be productive to mother Ghana.
So give the girl child a chance
It is enough to give the girl child a chance
Gone are the days when the girl child was the
First to rise in the morning and the last to go to bed
Now the girl child needs to be given a chance
So give the girl child a chance.
Give the girl child a chance
The girl child has all it takes to make it in life
No more gender stereotyping
It is enough, give the girl child her due.
Why not give the girl child a chance?
Have you forgoten what Dr. Aggrey once said?
“IF YOU EDUCATE A MAN, YOU EDUCATE AN INDIVIDUAL
BUT IF YOU EDUCATE A WOMAN, YOU EDUCATE THE WHOLE NATION”
So give the girl child the chance.
Oh fathers! Why? Why? Why?
Why do you deceive yourselves that marrying?
The girl child off shall bring you wealth?
Exploitation. Oh Exploitation, Father! Mother!
Did I do anything wrong? So give me a chance.
Why can’t I be educated?
What is the difference between a girl and a boy?
I have been stereotype as a girl in our society
Men come to pay for my dowry
Just for me to be a bride?
I need a chance now.
I am a child not a bride
I have a bright future too
I am not begging for food
I am not begging for clothing
I am begging for a chance.
Oh a chance to be educated
Oh a chance to live my dreams
I am laud in this cry
I insist on it, in the oceans on the land and in the air
So give me a chance.
Girl child, so precious a gift
Yet always thought of as less in the society
She cries out to be educated.
Yet always thought of as a cleaner
And all she wants is to be given a chance to realize her full potentials.
Potentials which most often go unnoticed
She cries out to be educated
Though some think of them as curses, just because of their gender
Always thought of as not good enough
She cries out to be given a chance.
Yes! All she wants is to be given that one chance to fulfil her destiny
All she wants is to be given the chance to become a better doctor
All she wants is to be given the chance to become a better lawyer
All she wants is to be given the chance to become a better leader
And all she wants is that single opportunity to be saved from prostitution.
Yes a single opportunity to be save from dependency
Yes a single opportunity to be save from insults
So she will never be seen as a commodity for trade
So she will never be seen as a Gold digger
Nor be looked upon as object of entertainment.
She cries out for help, yet no one seems to come to her rescue
Give the girl child the chance to get that respect which others get because of education.
So that she can reach out to others, motivate and teach them
Educating a girl child is one of the most important ways of changing the world
Girls are future mothers and good mothers.
So please support girl child education, for a better tomorrow.
Give the girl child a chance- it starts with you and me
Be the change that we want to see
That Girl child, who is a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother deserves to be heard
No Chance no change so give the girl child a chance.
By Sr. Emmanuella Dakurah, HHCJ
