They had aspirations. They had goals. In the small farming town of Chibok, hundreds of girls were doing the hard work of pursuing dreams that were not easy given their circumstances. Schools around them were shutting down because of the violence of a radical and violent Muslim insurgence group bent on shutting down secular education at any cost.
Recently, they massacred fifty-nine schoolboys in a nearby town. Attending school in this part of the country was a dangerous act. But the school in Chibok, and the girls, persevered. On the night of April 14th, many girls were sleeping in their dorms when a group of men, disguised in military gear, pulled them out of bed. They were told they would be taken to safety. As they were driven away in trucks, the men set fire to the school and began shooting guns into the air. It became clear that they were not being protected, but were in fact being kidnapped by the group they feared most. Boko Haram has been waging a war of terror in Nigeria for five years, specifically taking aim at Western education. Their name loosely translates to “Western education is sin.”
The group has killed at least 2,300 people since 2010. Much like Joseph Kony in Uganda, their reign of terror relies on extreme violence, including bombings, massacres, and kidnappings. They hide in the bush and rely on fear and violence to evade capture. Since the mass kidnapping, approximately 40 girls risked their lives to escape the clutches of Boko Haram.
Some jumped out of moving vehicles. Some ran away at night. Some snuck away while on errands to fetch water. They survived and walked back to their village. But well over 200 girls remain missing. Their bright futures have been traded for a life of slavery if they are not rescued. Posting on social media isn’t enough. Do something. Amplify their story.
Petition world governments to do more to rescue these girls on Change.org. Write a letter of support to the families of the girls at OpenDoors.org.au. And most of all, PRAY.. for their release, rescue and restoration. #bringbackourgirls || Psalms 72:12-14
Recently, they massacred fifty-nine schoolboys in a nearby town. Attending school in this part of the country was a dangerous act. But the school in Chibok, and the girls, persevered. On the night of April 14th, many girls were sleeping in their dorms when a group of men, disguised in military gear, pulled them out of bed. They were told they would be taken to safety. As they were driven away in trucks, the men set fire to the school and began shooting guns into the air. It became clear that they were not being protected, but were in fact being kidnapped by the group they feared most. Boko Haram has been waging a war of terror in Nigeria for five years, specifically taking aim at Western education. Their name loosely translates to “Western education is sin.”
The group has killed at least 2,300 people since 2010. Much like Joseph Kony in Uganda, their reign of terror relies on extreme violence, including bombings, massacres, and kidnappings. They hide in the bush and rely on fear and violence to evade capture. Since the mass kidnapping, approximately 40 girls risked their lives to escape the clutches of Boko Haram.
Some jumped out of moving vehicles. Some ran away at night. Some snuck away while on errands to fetch water. They survived and walked back to their village. But well over 200 girls remain missing. Their bright futures have been traded for a life of slavery if they are not rescued. Posting on social media isn’t enough. Do something. Amplify their story.
Petition world governments to do more to rescue these girls on Change.org. Write a letter of support to the families of the girls at OpenDoors.org.au. And most of all, PRAY.. for their release, rescue and restoration. #bringbackourgirls || Psalms 72:12-14
