Help Lesotho ran a poetry competition where girls were encouraged to write about the theme of the 2016 International Day of the Girl Child – The Power of the Adolescent Girl.
The winning poem was written by a 15-year old girl named Litumelo. Litumelo lives in a tiny community in rural Lesotho where girls are constantly struggling to meet their basic needs and have their human rights respected. Gender-based violence is rampant, girls as young as 13 are forced into marriages, and 40% of girls have babies before they are 19 years old.
Litumelo’s poem reminds us why we need to celebrate the International Day of the Girl – because when girls are empowered, everyone benefits.
The Power of the Adolescent Girl by Litumelo
An adolescent girl.
She is gorgeous,
her beauty emanates from her heart.
She is a dynamite,
she is tiny but stronger than an elephant.
The power of the adolescent girl resides in her dreams.
The adolescent girl has power.
She is the barriers breaker and
the world changer.
Her eyes are sharper than any two-edged sword
she can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
She is a woman of substance
with the deepest sense of purpose.
She is ready to release her potential.