Author: Catherine Vo, Guest Blogger
Over 68 million people in the world have been displaced from their homes.
17 million of these people are girls.
Girl Rising, a global campaign dedicated to girls’ education and empowerment, uses the power of storytelling to break down barriers for girls around the world. For this International Women’s Day, Girl Rising collaborated with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Citi to produce their latest film: Brave Girl Rising.
This unique film features the inspiring story of a 17 year old Somali girl named Nasro in Dadaab, Kenya. Dadaab hosts one of the largest refugee camps in the world. Nasro’s daily acts of courage to survive are told in the form of five poems written by poet Warsan Shire, who was also once a Somali refugee. Through these poems and colorful imagery, the audience explores Nasro’s encounters with danger at the refugee camp, rising to the top of her class, and dreams of her wise and loving mother.
On March 21st, this film debuted at the Milken Institute of Public Health in Washington, D.C. where scholars, activists, and various locals of the city gathered to watch and participate in the panel discussion that followed. Christina Lowery, CEO of Girl Rising, Kristin Solheim, Director of Federal Government Affairs at Citi, and Helena Minchew, Women’s Protection and Empowerment Advocacy and Technical Officer at the International Rescue Committee answered questions on the panel. They touched on barriers to education, safety, and healthcare for girls, and talked at length about gender based violence.
Partner Citi Bank now has over 159 screening events in over 61 countries. You can join this movement by hosting your own screening event using this toolkit.
Anyone and everyone can view the film for free here.
Serve Boldly 