Female activist, Kate Ekanem, seeks Buhari's attention urgently

Kate Ekanem is a writer and a girl’s right activist. She also has the distinction of being the first Nigerian to participate in the Girls 20, an annual summit which is endorsed by the G-20. She was at last year’s summit which held in Turkey as a representative of the African Union, and she spoke with OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG on her participation and her mandate which she has to implement now she’s back in the country. Why did you become a writer? After my mother’s death when I was just two years old, and as the only child of my mother, I was mostly lonely, no one to talk to, and no one to call mine because my dad was mostly occupied with work, I grew fond of books. I was crazily in love with animated stories, and so, at age 5, I started writing short stories. It was a relief and a break from boredom. I created characters I could communicate with. With writing, I was never alone. What have you achieved as a writer? I wouldn’t say I’ve achieved much because I’m still growing and also working on becoming better. But as a 22-year-old writer, I’m proud my works have been published in several magazines and blogs such as Tru Applause magazine, Huffing post, Pulse magazine, Connecticut, just to mention but a few, and in 2012, my first travel story with the Derive Crew, Austria, was published in English and translated in French and other languages and I have successfully organized several writing workshops for schools and Authors Talk for emerging writers. Why did you go into girl’s right activism? As a child, I had lived in fear. Fear of being spanked for nothing. Fear of being raped when in the midst of men. Fear of being disrespectful. As far as I can remember, I was a child who wanted to please everybody that came my way. I was afraid to say ‘no’ to anything. That feeling of fear and insecurity grew in me. I felt caged in a way that it affected me badly and resulted to so many mistakes in life. But as I grew and attended seminars, I discovered that I really have a right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ I discovered I could use my voice to get myself out of any situation I find myself. It was a great discovery and by that, I decided that it would be important to make other girls realize that there was power in their voices. I needed to make all girls that came by way understand that they could say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to whatever situation, and that is what I have been doing. So far, it has been worth my devotion. Is activism stressful or easy? Activism is easy when it’s your passion, but it’s a bit demanding. You represented the African Union at the Girls 20 last year October, November in Turkey. How did it come about? Girls 20 is under the umbrella of the G-20 summit. It is a global summit that selects 27 girl leaders between the age of 18-23 from different countries around the world to represent their country or continent with an aim of assisting the G-20 leaders with a communiqué that would help them achieve their goals of creating one hundred million jobs for women by 2020. I was nominated for it, and then asked to fill out some forms that required information concerning my service to the girl child. It was challenging, I must admit, because the applicants were more than 3,000 across Africa. All bright, brilliant young ladies across Africa wanted that position. Now you’re back in the country, tell us about your mandate that you want to implement. As a representative of Africa, I am expected to execute a project that would economically engage at least 200 girls and women across Africa. My project is titled African Women Empowerment and it would involve the south, east, west and north of Africa. Specifically, it’ll involve Nigeria, Namibia, Morocco and Ethiopia in professional training in ICT, photography and bead making. It’s a form of connecting Africa with same skills. My tenure lasts for eight months, and sadly enough, three months are gone already with my project still on hold. What is your plan to present your mandate to President Buhari? All delegates were sent back to their various countries to submit the communiqué officially to their President and to execute the mandatory project with full support from their government. Unfortunately, I am the only delegate who has been unable to reach out to her President or receive support towards her mandate. I have tried and I am still trying to reach out to the President and corporate organizations for support towards my mandate. I represented 54 African countries in Turkey and it breaks my heart that my voice that was meant to be heard is now confined to the comfort of my cupboard as my communiqué is yet to reach the President and my mandate has not been executed. How do you feel that you’re the first Nigerian to be a delegate at Girls 20? For a girl like me who has no mother and a father who is still struggling to survive, it was a dream come true. I still can recollect that evening when it was announced that I had been chosen out of 3,000 girls across Africa. I felt like fainting. I had shed so many tears for the opportunity because it was like breaking a record in the history of Girls 20. No Nigerian has ever been chosen since its inception in 2009. I therefore feel exceptional and I give all thanks to God, yes, but I’m not happy about it because Nigeria is the giant of Africa and if Girls 20 has been in existence since 2009, being the first Nigerian to be chosen should be something my country should be proud of. Tell us about your other awards, fellowships, recognitions and suchlike. I have been awarded several awards like the Youth Integrity Award, I am a Development Dialogue delegate, the most recommended runners of the Queens Young Leaders Award by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth of England, I am also among the Vital Ladies of the Vital Initiative Africa and a fellow of the 2016 US Carrington Fellowship.