The first escaped Chibok schoolgirls to successfully attend and complete
\nan American High School graduated last night in the United States Capital.
\nThe two girls known simply by their first names Debbie and Grace graduated
\nafter completing junior year (11th grade) and senior year (12 grade) at a
\nprestigious private international school in the Washington metro area in
\nAmerica.<\/p>\n
Debbie and Grace were part of the first 57 girls who escaped from Boko
\nHaram terrorists after the mass abduction of almost 300 Chibok schoolgirls
\nin April 2014. Unlike most of their colleagues who jumped out of trucks en
\nroute, the two were taken all the way to the terrorists camp in Sambisa
\nbefore they escaped and made it back home in a terrifying journey that
\ntook about a week with their captors in hot pursuit. They were the last to
\nescape Boko Haram until last year’s escape of Amina Ali after two years in
\ncaptivity.<\/p>\n
The two schoolgirls were among a dozen Nigerian girls sponsored to school
\nabroad by a Nigerian NGO Education Must Continue Initiative with the help
\nof US based international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe. EMC is run
\nby victims helping victims overcome the impact of the insurgency by the
\nworld’s deadliest terror group Boko Haram which has destroyed hundreds of
\nschools and killed thousands.<\/p>\n
By this graduation, Debbie and Grace became the first escaped Chibok girls
\nto graduate from an American high school with diplomas after completing
\nand meeting academic standards. This comes three years after terrorists
\ninterrupted their education during their final year in school in northeast
\nNigeria. Several other girls had dropped out of EMC’s school abroad
\nproject after managing to graduate from middle school (8th grade) last
\nyear and are now attempting to take the GED exam (external GCE
\nequivalent).<\/p>\n
On hand to witness the historic graduation of the two Chibok girls in the
\nclass of 2017 were a delegation from Nigeria which included the founders
\nand directors of Education Must Continue Initiative Mr and Mrs Paul
\nGadzama and the parent of one of the girls who traveled all the way from
\nChibok in northeast Nigeria. The only Chibok girl currently pursuing a
\ndegree program in an American university, cut short her summer vacation in
\nNigeria to return for the graduation of her colleagues. The girls’
\nAmerican host families and Barrister Emmanuel Ogebe and his family were
\namong the audience who witnessed the historic graduation.<\/p>\n
The class of 2017 was the 50th graduation of the school which was the
\nfirst high school in America to win a prestigious President’s award last
\nyear. The Chibok girls were among only 21 students who graduated as a few
\ninternational students were unable to graduate.<\/p>\n
In remarks during a celebratory reception, the Chibok girls thanked their
\nhost families, the NGO volunteers from EMC for supporting them to achieve
\ntheir dreams. They particularly appreciated them for driving the girls
\ndaily to and fro from school for two years.<\/p>\n
Also speaking, the parent visiting from Nigeria stated that he had
\npersonally seen that the team had done more for his daughter in America
\nthan he could have done for them in Nigeria and thanked them for their
\nlove.<\/p>\n
Recounting the story of how he conceived the project by divine favor,
\nhuman rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe described how he first brought the
\norphan of a pastor murdered by Boko Haram to school in the US in 2013. The
\nfollowing year, Boko Haram attacked her village and abducted 276 girls.
\nConsequently because he had helped an orphan from Chibok before he was
\nable to help these ones as well. He concluded that “unless God builds a
\nhouse, the laborers labor in vain.”<\/p>\n
He appreciated the sacrifice of EMC founders Mr and Mrs Gadzama who flew
\nat their own expense to witness the girls’ graduation after missing their
\nown daughter’s graduation with a masters in Public Health (MPH) in
\nMichigan just a few weeks earlier.<\/p>\n
He also thanked EMC’s American volunteer Education Adviser Deanna who
\nhelped obtain admission and scholarships to the exclusive $35,000 per year
\nschool for her role after their former school tried to take advantage of
\nthem. The girls had to repeat 11th grade after their initial school failed
\nto meet up to its obligations.<\/p>\n
A church Thanksgiving is planned for the girls who are exploring their
\nfuture endeavors following graduation.\u00a0 Among several awards won by them
\nwas an award for “Most hard working student in English as Second Language
\n3”. “This is an outstanding feat for Chibok girls especially given the
\nfact that in Nigeria, most continue to speak in Hausa to the consternation
\nof many Nigerians. This shows that our education model of immersion –
\nplacing the students in American homes – was immensely successful as they
\nare now able to engage confidently, communicate effectively and blossom
\ngenerally,” says Emmanuel Ogebe the International Program Director. “This
\nis why the girls in EMC’s US program are the most articulate Chibok girls
\nanywhere in the world.”<\/p>\n
Confirming this, host parents including lawyers, doctors and accountants
\nnarrated tales of how Americanized the girls are quoting one as saying
\n“mum, the weather is gross” while on another occasion explaining to her
\nhost mum, an American doctor, how Uber, the app-based taxi service,
\noperates.<\/p>\n
With this graduation, EMC has no more students in high school in the US.
\nAll are now post-secondary level and exceed all the Chibok girls in the
\nNigerian programs run by the Federal Government and Borno State
\ngovernment. EMC and AUN’s programs are the two most advanced programs for
\nChibok girls. “The fact that these girls could succeed inspite of the
\nworst of terrorism and the opposition of their own government no less is
\nproof that the gates of hell cannot prevail against the March of a girl
\ncommitted to achieving her dreams or any band of individuals united to
\nsupport them. They are truly a testament to the indomitable human spirit
\nunder guidance of a great God. Not one iota of support has come from any
\ngovernment anywhere. Rather we have paid the Nigerian and US governments
\nnumerous times for various needs for the girls. At the end of the day, our
\nlabor of love has been crowned with success in spite of all the naysayers
\nand saboteurs. To God alone by the glory. We thank all our friends and
\nsupporters,” Ogebe says.<\/p>\n
END PART 1 of 2
\nPictures to follow<\/p>\n
Emmanuel Ogebe
\nInternational Director
\nEducation Must Continue Initiative
\n– countering terrorism, one book at a time<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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