See what Semira ‘The Star’ is up to now!
In our Kids Who Dared to Dream eBook, we introduced you to Semira from Ethiopia. When she was 13, someone generous like you chose to sponsor her. A decision that completely changed Semira’s life.
In Shashmene community where Semira lives, girls were expected to prioritise housework over going to school and Semira was on her way to becoming a child bride.
“I thought all these traditional practices were useful, and I used to respect and protect them like any other community member,” she said then.
But at 13, thanks to kindness of her sponsor, Semira got the chance to learn about the rights of girls and boys to feel safe, go to school and make their own choices to have a bright future.
Now that she knew about girls’ rights, she was determined to defend them.
"I believe every girl deserves the opportunity to complete her education. And I want to see girls taking on leadership roles!” she said.
Semira started speaking out against gender-based violence and female genital mutilation.
At 15, she started a girls’ club with her friends, writing plays, poems and songs championing girls’ rights and performing them in her community.
“This is the most important thing I can do for my generation,” she said. “I have dedicated my life to fighting and eradicating harmful traditional practices. If we girls are united, we can eradicate these practices from the face of my country forever."
Now, two years later, we have an awesome update from 17-year-old Semira to share with you.
Today, Semira is a child parliament leader, children’s rights advocate and a voice for young people. She’s leading lasting change in Shashmene.
She’s teaching others how to protect children, giving them a voice in decisions and building a stronger, safer community for both, girls and boys.
“I came to learn everything I could about child rights. I changed my mindset, and started advocating for others and motivating many girls to attend school.
“The community here used to think that the kitchen was the right place for women. There was gender-based violence before, and women were considered worthless compared to men,” she says.
“Now those backward attitudes have changed after our advocacy work.”
Thanks to the love and care of sponsors like you, Semira and other young people continue to lead and inspire change in Shashmene community.
“I feel excited and overwhelmed to thank my sponsor for helping me since my childhood. I pray for abundant blessings, peace and protection for all the sponsors that have helped us.”
Like Semira, we can’t thank you enough for helping girls to learn their rights, stay in school, and reach for their dreams.
Learn more about how you can help a child like Semira break down barriers and break free from poverty, for good.
In Shashmene community where Semira lives, girls were expected to prioritise housework over going to school and Semira was on her way to becoming a child bride.
“I thought all these traditional practices were useful, and I used to respect and protect them like any other community member,” she said then.
But at 13, thanks to kindness of her sponsor, Semira got the chance to learn about the rights of girls and boys to feel safe, go to school and make their own choices to have a bright future.
Now that she knew about girls’ rights, she was determined to defend them.
"I believe every girl deserves the opportunity to complete her education. And I want to see girls taking on leadership roles!” she said.
Semira started speaking out against gender-based violence and female genital mutilation.
At 15, she started a girls’ club with her friends, writing plays, poems and songs championing girls’ rights and performing them in her community.
“This is the most important thing I can do for my generation,” she said. “I have dedicated my life to fighting and eradicating harmful traditional practices. If we girls are united, we can eradicate these practices from the face of my country forever."
Now, two years later, we have an awesome update from 17-year-old Semira to share with you.
Today, Semira is a child parliament leader, children’s rights advocate and a voice for young people. She’s leading lasting change in Shashmene.
She’s teaching others how to protect children, giving them a voice in decisions and building a stronger, safer community for both, girls and boys.
“I came to learn everything I could about child rights. I changed my mindset, and started advocating for others and motivating many girls to attend school.
“The community here used to think that the kitchen was the right place for women. There was gender-based violence before, and women were considered worthless compared to men,” she says.
“Now those backward attitudes have changed after our advocacy work.”
Thanks to the love and care of sponsors like you, Semira and other young people continue to lead and inspire change in Shashmene community.
“I feel excited and overwhelmed to thank my sponsor for helping me since my childhood. I pray for abundant blessings, peace and protection for all the sponsors that have helped us.”
Like Semira, we can’t thank you enough for helping girls to learn their rights, stay in school, and reach for their dreams.
Learn more about how you can help a child like Semira break down barriers and break free from poverty, for good.