every two seconds a girl is given up for
marriage somewhere in the world every
two seconds
somewhere in the world a girl is given
up for marriage but dwelling on that
misery is not the reason of my presence
with you today instead I would like to
invite you to change the narrative once
upon a time
somewhere in West Africa here yes here
had grown to become a beautiful woman
ready for marriage
now tradition is required that everyone
was to be invited in society so on that
day everyone was there from the most
powerful spirits in the universe to the
most powerful animals in the kingdom
lion rhino elephant even mosquito when
it came his turn to publicly propose he
said you heard the most beautiful
creature that I know I believe I am the
most important person in this audience
that’s why I would like to marry you
together I believe we can achieve more
than we expected he was probably waiting
for a positive response instead he
looked at him with disgust and said who
do you think you are how dare you stand
in front of this beautiful audience and
believe that I will marry you you little
you insignificant
you have no power your place is not here
hurt broken mostly humiliated mosquito
flew away but from that day on he woke
everyday to buzz in people’s ears on one
side of the story we have one lesson of
decision-making in the life of a young
woman and on the other side of the story
mosquito teaches us about the power of
perseverance even in the face of
hardship everyone hates mosquitoes for
their nuisance for the diseases they
bring but I bet some of you today
somehow feel some respect for that
little animal for his message in the
story never give up all across Africa
have you ever wondered what Africa would
be if those 65 percent had access to
quality education and adequate health
care services and security I know
because I was given the chance to make
it
I come from a very wealthy family my
grandmother at her time never had access
to education but she never questioned my
mother and her sisters going to school
my mother in return made sure that the
best investment she could do was in the
education of her daughters my two little
sisters and myself my father helped her
in that mission but that’s not what I
remember of him what I keep from my dad
is that one morning he was taking me to
school and we were late and as we were
driving of course our cars was probably
not the most beautiful one on the road
and the fastest one all the cars were
just passing by and seemingly reaching
wherever they were going faster than
where we tried to go as a teenager and
out of frustration I said to him why
can’t you just press on the gas so we
can go faster he didn’t say anything at
first
and then he said you know BRR so
wherever you need to go I promise I will
take you and that’s what he just did and
that’s why I’m standing in front of you
I carried that with me all my life as I
carried culture as I carried other
storytelling’s
would you like to hear another one would
you like to hear another one donkey had
one time accidentally fallen you know
well and he screamed for help and when
the villagers gathered they attempted to
help him out the idea was to tie a rope
around him and pull him to the surface
after many attempts they decided that it
was not worth to try and in disbelief he
heard them say he’s too heavy he’s too
old he may not be of any use to us
anymore so let us just bury him alive
and turn the page and move forward he
screamed in pain because he could not
believe that after all these years of
service this is what he deserved after a
the villagers leaned towards the well to
find out that every single sand that
they threw on his back he shook it off
stamped on it and allowed himself out to
the surface
he never gave up on himself I can
continue with stories like that and
really it’s not only West Africa it’s
I carried all that privilege with me and
I tried myself to make it in society I
attempted communication studies I
attempted journalism I attempted even
social work but I failed I failed
because I got carried away with my own
frustrations in society and the day I
heard one of my mentors say to me do
what matters to you
I packed my things and I returned back
to Senegal and there I registered again
in social work and not only did I get my
degree I carried on to a first master’s
degree in English Studies and today I’m
here as a evening scholar reaching out
to another masters in equality and human
rights I never gave up when I became a
social worker I did not wait to be hired
I created my own job environment I want
to teach human rights in schools and to
the skeptics I convinced that through
literature I could convey my message
about human rights so I thought for a
couple of years and from activity to
activity we went from having a club to a
larger network called today young
advocates for human rights in the
process of making that happen
we had to choose symbols that would
allow us to carry on in the face of
adversity one of them was in 1820 when a
group of women in the northern part of
Senegal were attacked by neighboring
enemies their King was absent and the
man realized that only women were
probably there and that they could come
and attack those women went to dress as
they use the clothes of their husbands
of their his sons and brothers and they
fought back they fought back and they
won the battle they cheered and those
men realized that these were actually
women they came back more willing to
fight them and hurt them and make them
slaves when the women realized what was
taking place they chose death over
humiliation and slavery they set fire in
the hearts of the village and they threw
themselves in there that’s the legacy
we’d grow up with that’s the heritage we
keep from West Africa and that’s what I
carry with me as a young woman to engage
to equip and to empower every youth that
comes to me and who becomes members of
the network our mission is simple build
bridges between young people age six to
35
yes thirty-five is still young in our
communities so from the root up the idea
is to prepare them to become better
citizens to train them in human rights
so they can serve in their communities
we organize fundraisings so we can have
the money to go and expand the world to
those who have less access to quality
education and therefore less access to
human rights education the road can be
very long and bumpy and realities are
there as we speak
we have more than 20,000 young men and
women from – 2014 – today who have died
trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea
because they believe that opportunities
are out of their countries as we speak
sexual harassment and abuse against
women is a reality as we speak
more than 50 thousand young children are
left unattended in the streets of
Senegal there are called tally base
there very little they can go really
very small toddlers – young adolescents
they have little clothing on themselves
they are known for not wearing shoes and
I would like to share one anecdote in my
early years of Social Work when I first
worked with this youth center one of my
major projects was to make sure that
each one of them had shoes to wear and I
made a huge fuss out of it and one day
the accountant called me and said we’ve
heard you bar so we have ordered shoes
for them but just do me a favor observe
them so after week a week and a half one
of my co-workers ran to me and said you
have to come and see what’s happening so
I came and I saw all the children in the
courtyard playing that was normal but
one game caught my attention those
children were taking the shoes that we
bought for them a week ago and they
would aim very high and throw them in
the air and the winner of that so-called
game is the one who would achieve taking
the shoes to the rooftop that was a game
and it was fun for them I laughed with
them but I learned from them
yes they need the basics yes they need
clothing they need food they need
protection they need shoes but what they
mostly need is the right context and
in the process I call every actor not to
give up because realities are there and
it’s very difficult today millions of
young people wake up every morning to
witness opportunities take place abroad
that’s what that’s the reason why they
are trying to go by any means necessary
they wake up every morning to internet
they wake up to see the chances that
their peers have in other areas of the
world where they cannot reach they wake
up every morning with their own desires
that they cannot fulfill because of the
region where they live we need to tackle
those issues one by one we need to make
sure that every young person has the
right to opportunities I would like to
dig deeper in my suitcase of stories and
take out this one about a man who was
witnessing another from afar taking
starfish and throwing them back into the
ocean in curiosity he approached and
said what are you doing and the man said
I’m trying to save them can’t you see
there are thousands of them in here the
man said you’re wasting your time there
are so many of them there is nothing you
picked one looked at him and you said
this one saved whatever we do we must
never give up but mostly we must change
the narrative thank you very much [Applause]
marriage somewhere in the world every
two seconds
somewhere in the world a girl is given
up for marriage but dwelling on that
misery is not the reason of my presence
with you today instead I would like to
invite you to change the narrative once
upon a time
somewhere in West Africa here yes here
had grown to become a beautiful woman
ready for marriage
now tradition is required that everyone
was to be invited in society so on that
day everyone was there from the most
powerful spirits in the universe to the
most powerful animals in the kingdom
lion rhino elephant even mosquito when
it came his turn to publicly propose he
said you heard the most beautiful
creature that I know I believe I am the
most important person in this audience
that’s why I would like to marry you
together I believe we can achieve more
than we expected he was probably waiting
for a positive response instead he
looked at him with disgust and said who
do you think you are how dare you stand
in front of this beautiful audience and
believe that I will marry you you little
you insignificant
you have no power your place is not here
hurt broken mostly humiliated mosquito
flew away but from that day on he woke
everyday to buzz in people’s ears on one
side of the story we have one lesson of
decision-making in the life of a young
woman and on the other side of the story
mosquito teaches us about the power of
perseverance even in the face of
hardship everyone hates mosquitoes for
their nuisance for the diseases they
bring but I bet some of you today
somehow feel some respect for that
little animal for his message in the
story never give up all across Africa
have you ever wondered what Africa would
be if those 65 percent had access to
quality education and adequate health
care services and security I know
because I was given the chance to make
it
I come from a very wealthy family my
grandmother at her time never had access
to education but she never questioned my
mother and her sisters going to school
my mother in return made sure that the
best investment she could do was in the
education of her daughters my two little
sisters and myself my father helped her
in that mission but that’s not what I
remember of him what I keep from my dad
is that one morning he was taking me to
school and we were late and as we were
driving of course our cars was probably
not the most beautiful one on the road
and the fastest one all the cars were
just passing by and seemingly reaching
wherever they were going faster than
where we tried to go as a teenager and
out of frustration I said to him why
can’t you just press on the gas so we
can go faster he didn’t say anything at
first
and then he said you know BRR so
wherever you need to go I promise I will
take you and that’s what he just did and
that’s why I’m standing in front of you
I carried that with me all my life as I
carried culture as I carried other
storytelling’s
would you like to hear another one would
you like to hear another one donkey had
one time accidentally fallen you know
well and he screamed for help and when
the villagers gathered they attempted to
help him out the idea was to tie a rope
around him and pull him to the surface
after many attempts they decided that it
was not worth to try and in disbelief he
heard them say he’s too heavy he’s too
old he may not be of any use to us
anymore so let us just bury him alive
and turn the page and move forward he
screamed in pain because he could not
believe that after all these years of
service this is what he deserved after a
the villagers leaned towards the well to
find out that every single sand that
they threw on his back he shook it off
stamped on it and allowed himself out to
the surface
he never gave up on himself I can
continue with stories like that and
really it’s not only West Africa it’s
I carried all that privilege with me and
I tried myself to make it in society I
attempted communication studies I
attempted journalism I attempted even
social work but I failed I failed
because I got carried away with my own
frustrations in society and the day I
heard one of my mentors say to me do
what matters to you
I packed my things and I returned back
to Senegal and there I registered again
in social work and not only did I get my
degree I carried on to a first master’s
degree in English Studies and today I’m
here as a evening scholar reaching out
to another masters in equality and human
rights I never gave up when I became a
social worker I did not wait to be hired
I created my own job environment I want
to teach human rights in schools and to
the skeptics I convinced that through
literature I could convey my message
about human rights so I thought for a
couple of years and from activity to
activity we went from having a club to a
larger network called today young
advocates for human rights in the
process of making that happen
we had to choose symbols that would
allow us to carry on in the face of
adversity one of them was in 1820 when a
group of women in the northern part of
Senegal were attacked by neighboring
enemies their King was absent and the
man realized that only women were
probably there and that they could come
and attack those women went to dress as
they use the clothes of their husbands
of their his sons and brothers and they
fought back they fought back and they
won the battle they cheered and those
men realized that these were actually
women they came back more willing to
fight them and hurt them and make them
slaves when the women realized what was
taking place they chose death over
humiliation and slavery they set fire in
the hearts of the village and they threw
themselves in there that’s the legacy
we’d grow up with that’s the heritage we
keep from West Africa and that’s what I
carry with me as a young woman to engage
to equip and to empower every youth that
comes to me and who becomes members of
the network our mission is simple build
bridges between young people age six to
35
yes thirty-five is still young in our
communities so from the root up the idea
is to prepare them to become better
citizens to train them in human rights
so they can serve in their communities
we organize fundraisings so we can have
the money to go and expand the world to
those who have less access to quality
education and therefore less access to
human rights education the road can be
very long and bumpy and realities are
there as we speak
we have more than 20,000 young men and
women from – 2014 – today who have died
trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea
because they believe that opportunities
are out of their countries as we speak
sexual harassment and abuse against
women is a reality as we speak
more than 50 thousand young children are
left unattended in the streets of
Senegal there are called tally base
there very little they can go really
very small toddlers – young adolescents
they have little clothing on themselves
they are known for not wearing shoes and
I would like to share one anecdote in my
early years of Social Work when I first
worked with this youth center one of my
major projects was to make sure that
each one of them had shoes to wear and I
made a huge fuss out of it and one day
the accountant called me and said we’ve
heard you bar so we have ordered shoes
for them but just do me a favor observe
them so after week a week and a half one
of my co-workers ran to me and said you
have to come and see what’s happening so
I came and I saw all the children in the
courtyard playing that was normal but
one game caught my attention those
children were taking the shoes that we
bought for them a week ago and they
would aim very high and throw them in
the air and the winner of that so-called
game is the one who would achieve taking
the shoes to the rooftop that was a game
and it was fun for them I laughed with
them but I learned from them
yes they need the basics yes they need
clothing they need food they need
protection they need shoes but what they
mostly need is the right context and
in the process I call every actor not to
give up because realities are there and
it’s very difficult today millions of
young people wake up every morning to
witness opportunities take place abroad
that’s what that’s the reason why they
are trying to go by any means necessary
they wake up every morning to internet
they wake up to see the chances that
their peers have in other areas of the
world where they cannot reach they wake
up every morning with their own desires
that they cannot fulfill because of the
region where they live we need to tackle
those issues one by one we need to make
sure that every young person has the
right to opportunities I would like to
dig deeper in my suitcase of stories and
take out this one about a man who was
witnessing another from afar taking
starfish and throwing them back into the
ocean in curiosity he approached and
said what are you doing and the man said
I’m trying to save them can’t you see
there are thousands of them in here the
man said you’re wasting your time there
are so many of them there is nothing you
picked one looked at him and you said
this one saved whatever we do we must
never give up but mostly we must change
the narrative thank you very much [Applause]
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