Voice of a Girl Child
By Coswar Assad Warsami. Please Watch:

Shh, listen,
Do you hear that?
That is the voice
Of a girl child.

A child who dreams,
A future teacher,
A future doctor,
and a future pilot—
If only my dreams
Are not shattered.

I think of myself
As a star,
With my own passion of light.
I can shine,
If given the opportunity—
The opportunity to follow my brothers to school,
The opportunity to grow,
To learn more from teachers—
If only my dreams
Are not shattered.

I think of myself
As a giraffe,
My sight set high,
Big visions on big things.
You don’t have to marry me off
To an old man,
Just because you think
School is not the right place for a girl.
I need to go to school,
To pursue my goals.

I think of myself
As a live engine,
Always going, never slowing.
Time is elapsing—
Let my education
Not be a hot spot.
The old man waits for my hand in marriage,
The old woman waits for me with a knife.
I need to go to school,
To pursue my goals.

I think of myself
As a lion,
To roar loud,
To be heard.
You don’t have to take me as your wife
Just because I am beautiful.
Instead, teach me
A mathematical formula,
So that my dreams
Are not shattered.

I think of myself
As a star.
I think of myself
As a live engine.
I think of myself
As a giraffe.
I think of myself
As a lion.

Dear teachers,
Parents,
And guardians,
Do not neglect
The rights
I have been entitled to.

The Bottom Line