Girls gather to celebrate
At the meeting, a moment of silence was observed to show respect for Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistan school girl who wrote a diary about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan.
Girl Guides South Africa (GGSA), an activist movement that advocates the rights of girls, held a breakfast meeting to observe International Day Of The Girl Child on October 11.
The event was also aimed at empowering the girl child and highlighting challenges faced by girls in modern day society.
At the meeting, a moment of silence was observed to show respect for Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistan school girl who wrote a diary about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan.
She was shot in the head five years ago by militants. She miraculously survived.
She became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
About 15 girls from across the country had an opportunity to mingle with high profile women. They included the Gauteng MEC for Finance, Ms Barbara Creecy, the president of the Girl Guides South Africa, Ms Totsie Memela, the CEO of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Thabang Mampana and the Guiding Ambassador of Girl Guides, Ms Eugenia Mbekeni.
Speaking on the day, Ms Creecy told the girls to aim for the moon in every aspect of their life.
She encouraged the children to stay in school and to pursue careers of their choice.
Creecy said South Africa has created an enabling environment for the girl child to thrive and that they can achieve their goals if they stay focused.
Some of the girls, who are part of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) projects, told the audience how they are involved in their respective communities as change agents. This includes helping out at places such as old age homes, orphanages and handing out clothes to the needy.
