VIRGIN HEART FOUNDATION MARKS 2025 GIRLS’ DAY IN IMO.

Virgin Heart Foundation joined the global community to commemorate the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child with the theme “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls in the Frontline of Crises.”
The event brought together adolescent girls from various communities across Imo State for an inspiring and empowering engagement held at Rockview Hotel, Owerri.
In her opening remarks, Peace Dike, Executive Director of Virgin Heart Foundation, highlighted the numerous crises girls face daily, including child marriage, teenage pregnancy, sexual violence and harassment, school dropout, and child labour.
She noted that this year’s event provided an opportunity for the Foundation to identify and support vulnerable girls, particularly those who are survivors of sexual abuse from Mbaitolu LGA.
“This year’s theme could not be more timely. We live in communities where too many girls still face barriers such as teenage pregnancy, harmful practices like female genital mutilation, lack of access to quality education, and poverty. These challenges are not just statistics—they are real stories, real struggles, and real dreams being delayed or denied,”
Peace Dike, Executive Director, Virgin Heart Foundation.
Delivering the keynote address, Barrister Gloria Egwuagu, Solicitor-General, Imo State Ministry of Justice, urged the girls to focus on their education, set personal goals, and remain determined to achieve their dreams. She assured them of the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and protection of the girl child in Imo State, encouraging them to speak out against any form of violence or abuse to seek justice.
In another session, Juliet Okeiyi, Executive Director of Open Arms Initiative, encouraged the girls to become advocates for gender equality, justice, and inclusion, stressing the need to break the culture of silence surrounding harassment and discrimination.

The Executive Secretary of the Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB), who graced the event, commended Virgin Heart Foundation for its consistent efforts in empowering girls with life skills and reaffirmed the Ministry of Education’s commitment to creating safe spaces within schools for girls to learn and thrive.
As part of its ongoing intervention, Virgin Heart Foundation recently identified seven young survivors of teenage pregnancy and forced motherhood—some as young as 13 to 15 years old. The organisation has pledged to empower them through vocational training and support their return to school where possible.
In the weeks leading up to the celebration, the Foundation conducted school outreaches and sensitisation programmes across 16 schools in Imo State, focusing on life skills development and sexual and reproductive health education.
The event concluded with presentations of sanitary materials, awards, scholarships, and cash prizes to winners of the quiz competition and other participating girls.