Walaa’s Weekly Wrap-Up ~ May 10th, 2014 ~ #BringBackOurGirls

The week was dominated by the kidnapping of the Nigerian school girls and rightly so.

In my opinion the incident took too long to make it into the international media, but that is fault of the Nigerian government who didn’t push it. They either didn’t want the outside world to know, which in itself is short sighted and stupid. Because today, with social media nothing is safe from making the international headline news, or they didn’t know how or who to ask for help – that too is unwise – ask the best in the field, the British and the Americans.

The girls were kidnapped on April 15th, three days later on Good Friday, April 18th the Foreign Secretary William Hague offered the Nigerians the British government’s help. That was the most he can do. It was up to the Nigerian government to accept and state what kind and level of assistance they needed.

Unfortunately, they did not accept the British government’s offer until a few days ago; over three weeks after the kidnapping took place. Why? Nobody really knows what’s going on internally! But externally, the international pressure via Twitter and the hashtag Bring Back Our Girls was relentless, and the Nigerian government had no choice but to cave under its pressure and publically ask for outside assistance in the matter.

Here in the UK, many asked “why the UK didn’t do more during that time?” It didn’t because it is impossible to do more without interfering in internal affairs.

As someone who grew up in a former British colony, I know and understand that there is a very fine line between being kind and offering help and appearing bossy and colonial. That is why all the British government did and could do is offer to help then wait to be asked by the Nigerians to come and help.

The blame, in the delay in asking/accepting that help, lies squarely with President Goodluck Jonathon who could have accepted weeks ago and saved the girls and their families the agony of time. Three weeks is a very long time for the young girls to not know their fate and for their families to wonder what that fate is.

But we are here now, and I truly hope all the girls are found and rescued so that the healing processes beings.

There have been rumours that three girls died from snake bites and one was married off. But since none of the reports are confirmed, the hope still remains that all the girls are found and freed.

Thoughts and prayers are with the girls and their families.

#BringBackOurGirls