#BringBackOurGirls

  Imagine a young girl, studying her notes and reading her books in preparation 
for her exams to be held in the next day.  She wanted to do good in her exams; she 
wanted to have good grades to show her parents who have sacrificed so much 
so she can go to school. She knew in her heart that she'll be able to help 
her family and her community after she finished her education. 

  Little did she know that in the wee hours of the night, she will be taken by 
a terrorist group and be threatened to be sold off as a slave to the highest bidder. 

    This is not a fictional tale. Tales of kidnapping of children  are all too 
common in many countries ravaged by war and terrorism. However, the
kidnapping of 300 school girls in Nigeria, whereby the leaders of the terrorist 
group threatened to sell them off or forced them into marrying   their leaders 
sparked world-wide condemnation and outrage.  

    I am a mother of two daughters and I am indignant of the cruelty of certain 
groups,while pursuing their own agendas, towards the innocent and the 
vulnerable.The school girls are very much like my daughters and other daughters 
who wanted an education to be able to help themselves, their families and 
communities.

   I strongly support the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. I pray that  the girls find 
comfort in each other and their faith wherever they are right now. I hope and pray 
for the girls' safe return home soon.

Acknowledgement: photograph from Miriam College website

    I am a member of the  Miriam College community in the Philippines. 
I am posting their community poster here for the #BringBackOurGirls 
campaign and their suggestion on how to help in the campaign
(http://www.mc.edu.ph):

From Miriam College:

Here’s what we can all do to help step up the pressure for the release of the girls:

1. Write our Philippine government for them to express our collective concern over the kidnapping to:
   Secretary Alberto del Rosario
   Department of Foreign Affairs
   Roxas Blvd,  Manila
   
2. Write a letter to the Nigerian school officials through EqualityNow.org.
3. Sign a petition to the Nigerian government expressing your school/organizations deep concern over the kidnapping;
4. Send expressions of support  to families of the girls via: #BringBackOurGirls
5. Do your own selfie (by individuals or groups) with a relevant message expressing your concern about the kidnapping with #BringBackOurGirls and post it in social media;
6. Join the countdown until the girls are released.