Eighteen-year-old Aisha Yisha from Kudai community was once a shy girl who barely spoke to her parents. For years, her family’s way of communication was through a small chalkboard—a symbol of silence and distance. Whenever Aisha had something to say, she wrote it down. Words spoken directly were rare, especially between her and her father.
Like many girls in her community, Aisha faced a world shaped by early marriage, period poverty, unequal chores, and rigid gender roles. School attendance was irregular, and confidence among girls was low. But everything began to change the day Aisha attended a community sensitization session organized under the Girl-Led Research and Action Project. She watched two young girl advocates speak boldly about the challenges girls face, and their passion sparked something deep within her. Determined to be part of that change, Aisha joined an art competition and won. That moment marked the beginning of her journey as a Girl Advocate.
Through training and mentorship, Aisha learned about intergenerational communication and how to bridge the gap between parents and children. Armed with this knowledge, she took a bold step: she walked up to her father and spoke, breaking a 20-year-old silence in her family. The board that once carried written words of fear and distance became a tool for learning, where Aisha and her siblings now teach and learn from one another.
Her new confidence spread through her home. Using tools from training on gender roles, Aisha opened her mother’s eyes to how much unpaid care work girls carry. Today, her brothers share household chores equally. With more time to herself, Aisha now reads, learns life skills, and dreams bigger than ever. Her mother, once skeptical, now marvels at her transformation:
“Aisha used to be so shy,” she said. “Now she speaks with confidence and helps others understand. Our family communicates better, and even the boys now do chores.”
Aisha’s story is a testament to what happens when girls are empowered to speak. Once silent, she now stands before her community, leading conversations on girls’ rights and inspiring others to find their voice. Her message to girls everywhere is simple but powerful: “Never be silent about your issues. Speak up. Be open. Be confident.”
This is the kind of transformation ActionAid Nigeria works toward every day. Across communities, the focus remains the same: build power from the ground up, support girls and women to claim their voices, strengthen families through shared responsibility, and create pathways out of poverty through education and collective action.
Community Sponsorship makes this possible.
Through Community Sponsorship, individuals support long-term, community-led solutions that address hunger, inequality, education, and empowerment together. It is not charity; it is partnership. It is sustained support that allows stories like Aisha’s to happen again and again.
By donating to Community Sponsorship, Nigerians are investing in real change. Change that begins quietly. Change that grows steadily. Change that lasts.
Aisha found her voice. With your support, many more can too.