The name of the project I will be part of is Girl Power: Catch Them Young. The essence of this project is to intentionally empower female children between the ages 10 to 14. My team and I plan to
convince and scout for girls at 3 junior secondary schools in Lafia, Nasarawa state of Nigeria. We aim to help equip and expose girls to knowledge that can change the way they think about life. So in the end, they would look forward to accessing better opportunities like their male counterparts. Thus, to grow to close the gap in the gender bridge of our society and to put an end to early marriage.

Project Girl Power: Catch Them Young, aims to teach them to dream. We hope to create a space -in weekly meetings at their schools- that will allow for girls to express themselves through any art form, like literature, crafts work, etc. This sessions will last for an hour and the half. This could be during their prep periods, or it can fit in as an extracurricular activity. We hope to provide on screen
conferences connecting them with young Northern Nigerian women who are doing great in their various fields. These women will talk to the young girls about the work they are doing and how their dreams led them there. They would come from different walks of life: photographers, musicians, doctors, professors, etc. By meeting these women with a diversity of careers, these girls would be challenged to dream outside of their environment.

Also, my team and I hope to provide girls with education on their personal health. We plan to hold monthly health seminars in their schools in Lafia, Nasarawa state of Nigeria. My team and I -as medical students- will invite atleast 2 medical personnels from the Dalhatu Specialist Hospital in Nasarawa state (which is our school's teaching hospital). Girls would receive lectures on femine hygiene. We hope to teach them about environmental health too. Because I have worked with young girls in recycling and I'm passionate about conservation, my team and I will start an environmental
club with the girls. At the club, we would partner with young African girls leading climate action initiatives in the continent. These female activists will help guide the girls who are concerned about the environment and in undertaking recycling/conservation efforts. We will host an art show at the end for
all the recycled art to be displayed on auction.

When all these are done, with the help of the Millennium Fellowship, I believe that the female children in my community will have their mindsets changed. After the project, my team and I wishes to
continue to see them through their journey to compete in the global world. We are positive that girl children, when given a platform to grow, would build beyond barriers. Thus, breaking themselves free from oppression.