>
Zonta International Club, Ibadan I & II, recently organised a seminar for young girls to mark the international day of the girl child.
The seminar, themed: ‘Making a better place for Women and Girls,’ held on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
Eighteen secondary and 10 primary schools participated in the seminar.
The guest speaker, Dr. Foluke Oluyemisi Abimbola, a legal practitioner and Dean, Faculty of Law, Lead City University, Ibadan, appreciated the organisers of the programme, saying: “This programme would have taught them what to do and it would continue to ring in the mind of the young girls what they need to do to become responsible adults.”
The President, Zonta Club, Ibadan I, Mrs Temitayo Alabi, said the programme has been very informative and impactful, adding that it will encourage and inspire the girls to be the best that they can and focus on their education.
“I absolutely believe it will have a positive effect on them because growing up as a child, those types of seminars that we attended impacted our lives so much that we remember when we take steps to do things in life, education, marriage, child bearing. Those things that we hear when we were young has impacted our lives and definitely I know that it will have impact on the lives of these girls today,” she added.
Speaking, the President, Zonta Club Ibadan II, Dr Olufunmi Adegbile, said: “Today is the international day of the girl child and my club believe in mentoring these young ones and making them believe in themselves, accept themselves, celebrate themselves and have the confidence that they can do anything they set their minds to do and know that the sky is not their limit.
“Our guest speaker, Dr. Abimbola, have been able to open their mind that it’s not marriage first but education first and education can get them anywhere in the world.
“The children put smiles on our faces, especially some special children, we have bouncing castle, popcorn, ice cream, candy and food. Today has been fruitful and as Zonta members, we love to give back and we are passionate about creating a better world for women and girls,” she said.
Magbagbeola Ireoluwa, a participant and student of Lead City International school, said: “I am happy to be a participant of today’s programme and this programme has been beneficial to me because I have learnt how a girl child is important to the society and the country at large. I have learnt how we can empower ourselves to become better than we are and to make the men know that we are not little but powerful in our own way and we are special. Education is key in the whole world and it is beneficial to be educated and it makes you to be important in the society and the sky is not your limit.”
Another participant and also a student of University College Hospital (UCH) Staff School, Efetobore Tobi Bright, added that the programme has been of great benefit to her, stressing that the seminar has taught her that a female child can be anything she wants to be and that a female child is powerful anywhere she finds herself.
Zontians also put smiles on the faces of the primary school students as they had a lot of fun, danced to music, painted their faces and also jumped on the bouncing castle. They also had ice cream, candy, popcorn among others.