NOW YOU KNOW

SAD

"Zoey! Zoey!! You've been sleeping for long wake up!!!" Winfrey shook me continuously. she had to be worst than the loudest alarm clock... She knew how to disturb one's sleep.

"Winfrey,you didn't have to wake me violently" I explained,half awake,still rubbing my eyes which were swollen from the cries of the previous night.

"This is not the time to get your beauty sleep. Just get your ass up and get ready for the day. It's a public holiday buh your assistance will be needed by the dormitory supervisor so get up."

I was beginning to hate this whole head girl thing. It was a school free day for christ's sake. I got up from my bed to get ready to meet my dormitory supervisor. My other roommates were still fast asleep. I envied them already.

As the head girl I had my own benefits though. But then, the responsibilities were something else. Anyways, I've always been positive...I could do this.

My dormitory supervisor wasn't one to say much. So she gave me a list of stuff to carry out, they weren't like really tough though. I just needed like two hours to complete the task. I had almost reached my destination when I bumped into the devil himself, Mr. Ted...he was just walking out of his office with Sharon behind him,helping him carry a pile of books, She'd better be careful i said to myself. They stared at me but I just wasn't ready to let anyone ruin my day so i simply greeted him and walked away not expecting a response.

My biggest regret was not being able to muster courage to report him. Corey said i needed a strong evidence. That was true. I knew he'd do it to another student, probably someone so naive like all those juniors. I knew my duty was to protect them from things like this. I had to create a sort of awareness. That's all i could do and I had to do that as soon as possible.

*************

Every year, it was necessary for the head girl to organize seminars for the girls. As the head girl, every girl in the school was under your care. My experience with Mr. Ted made me know that any girl who didn't know her right could easily be molested.

Right from my tender age, my mom always talked to me about this stuff...she even gave me a pepper spray when i clocked twelve. then,i felt she was just being overly dramatic. The female child needed to be protected at all costs, my parents tried their best to protect me, even though i felt pissed at times. I was now beginning to understand why they did all that and i was grateful.

I could only imagine the number of girls whose parents never had the time to sit them down and tell them about stuff like this. I didn't want to believe that i was the only person who had that that type of encounter with my teacher. Well it was going to come to an end. Once a girl knows how to stand up for herself and say no, things could get better.
Preparing my speech wasn't a difficult task. I just hoped my principal approved it. Well he did and i was happy, A date was set.

*********************

The set date was here already and I was all moods from excited to tensed. Winfrey and Corey kept telling me i could do it. My vice principal and dormitory supervisor attended the seminar,other female staff were in attendance too.

The Girl's Chapel prefect gave an opening speech then prayed before the seminar actually began.

I was next to give my speech, I welcomed everyone in attendance. All the girls were present, The media crew were present too.

I gave a talk on THE RIGHTS OF THE FEMALE CHILD. I used that opportunity to talk on right of a female child in getting quality education...also, i exposed the acts of malevolent men in the society and how they try to take advantage of the female child especially when those girls don't know their rights or how to defend themselves.

Every girl needed to know how to say no. And even if a girl didn't know how to say no or defend herself,she had every right to be defended by others, she needed someone to listen to her whenever she needed someone to talk to.

Once, a girl was raped and she tried to tell her aunt but her aunt turned around to blame her for putting herself in that condition by going to the man's house. Her aunt didn't address the matter properly which was wrong.

Girls needed to speak up too...I explained to them that they were also important in the society. My vice principal came up to give her own speech which was mainly centered on female child's right to having education. She told us about many important women in the society...she mentioned the likes of Ngozi iweala, Chimamanda Adichie, Tara Fela- Durotoye, and the rest.

Personally, I always looked up to my Mom who is a successful business woman, she's the best woman I can always look up to, my vice principal also, cause she was one of the successful women i also admired. The way she carried herself amazed me.

The seminar went on for few hours and at the end, the girls were asked to send in anonymous letters if they needed more pieces of advice or anything.

We ended the seminar with a prayer by my dormitory supervisor. Many girls wrote letters and put it in a single basket with strictly no name on it. It was to be done anonymously.

It was a successful seminar. My vice principal gave me a big hug before she left. My classmates helped me arrange the letters and i took them back to my room.