Yesterday, on Mothers’ Day, families across Canada gathered to celebrate motherhood and the influence that mothers have on our lives. On that day, I remembered my mother, whose gift of love allowed me to become the woman that I am today. On that day, I was also greeted by the warm wishes of my daughter, who expressed her pride in the love that I continue to give her to this very day, as I watch her become the great woman she is today.
Unfortunately, many were not able to enjoy that same love yesterday. In April 2014, Boko Haram abducted 276 Chibok girls from their schools. Of these girls, 57 managed to escape from their captors, yet none have been rescued by the Nigerian government. Over two years later, 219 still remain in the hands of one of the most dangerous extremist groups in the world.
My heart reaches out to the 219 girls who still have yet to be rescued. Each one of them deserves to be living with the support and love of their mothers, and to be living their lives in peace. I hold hope that President Buhari will deliver on his promise from last year, vowing to bring back the Chibok girls from their kidnappers.
My heart also reaches out in solidarity with the mothers of the Chibok girls, who anxiously wait for the day that their daughters will be freed. Their letters from last month- “Letters to our daughters: Hope Endures” delivers a heartbreaking account of their passionate faith that one day, they will be able to see their daughters once again. These mothers deserve better than to live in constant fear, not even knowing whether or not their daughters are alive.
As a mother, I shudder to think of the void that is left in the hearts of these women when groups like Boko Haram hold their daughters in captivity. On my Twitter, I will continue to count the days since the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, along with the days since President Buhari’s promise to find them. I will never forget them, and will continue to ask the world to continue fighting to #BringBackOurGirls to the loving families that await them. Come work with me, let’s bring the girls home.