Girl Rising GIP Event with Martha Adams

Last night, I attended the Girl Rising screening and got the chance to hear from the producer herself, Martha Adams. The film, which took a deep look into one Somali refugee’s fight for education and freedom, told Nazro’s story beautifully through a series of poems. I was incredibly inspired not only by the film, but also by Martha Adam’s speech after; Adams talked about the power of educated women, explaining that our world would look incredibly different if countries and communities put more resources into educating their girls. She offered statistics and facts that proved educating women and girls consistently affects a boost in economy and increased innovation in countries. Thus, educating girls is always in the best interest of any given community. However, the film wasn’t just about girls’ education, it specifically focused on the lack of resources many female refugees have access to. The film talked about Nazro’s journey with education; one thing that stuck with me personally was a story of how walking to school is always a question of life and death in the camp. The film showed that on her walk to school, choosing paths is choosing safety or danger. Adams even shared with us how Nazro and her friend were attacked on their walk to school once, and Nazro’s friend lost an eye in this attack. Learning about Nazro’s journey and her struggle to get any kind of education really makes me grateful for the education I have and even the seemingly simple fact that I have a safe way to get to school. I’m so happy I got the chance to see part of the film and to hear Martha Adams speak first hand.