International Day of the Girl Child: The Power of One Book, One Girl

St Annes Girls School, located in Ibadan, the South-West region of Nigeria— and the largest city in West Africa, started in 1929 with an increasingly yearly enrollment of girls from diverse backgrounds, especially local communities across the State. St Annes is popularly recognized for breeding remarkable future leaders, but one of its major obstacles for students—as it is with most schools in the region with high population— is the lack of sufficient academic resources, such as books, and other learning materials. In commemoration of the 2016 International Day of the Girl Child under the theme: “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls,” ICON visited St Annes for a massive book donation program to foster a reading culture among students and encourage open conversations on girls’ leadership.