Illuminating & Uplifting the Power of Girls’ Voices
A peace leader from the current Peace Practice Alliance Program
-OLUCHI ACHI UZODIMMA-
Oluchi Achi Uzodimma grew up in a polygamous home in Nigeria as the oldest of 18 children. With scarce resources, her family believed it to be a waste to use them on the girls in the family. As a child, Oluchi witnessed the women around her being silenced and their needs unmet. She often wondered if it was “wrong to be a girl.”
Oluchi knew she wanted a life different from what she observed and experienced as a child. She wanted to advocate for girls in her community. As Oluchi passionately states, “Girls need to be heard.” After graduating university, Oluchi founded the Child Shield Initiative, an organization in Nigeria focused on empowering girls and helping girls find their voice. Many of the girls Child Shield serves are not enrolled in school, as they are expected to stay at home to care for younger siblings and help with domestic work. A significant portion of the girls are forced into sexual relationships that result in teenage pregnancy and early marriage or homelessness.
“In my experience in my family girls were not allowed to talk. I decided I would give girls a voice… girls need to be heard.”
“Children need to be helped.”
Child Shield Initiative assists girls with enrolling and staying in school by providing school uniforms, sanitary products, and educating parents on the importance of girls’ education. Child Shield also works at a deeper level to illuminate to girls they have a voice and to uplift their worth and agency. Oluchi aims to build a recovery home for abused girls that provides safety, food, and access to education. She would also like to support more girls who have been impacted by Boko Haram and provide a safe haven from the camps where they are often subject to further abuse.
Oluchi joined the Peace Practice Alliance (PPA) program because she wants to “learn how to bring back peace to my community.” Oluchi explains that Nigeria is experiencing terrorism, kidnappings, and Boko Haram creates chaos for communities resulting in a tremendous amount of fear and trauma. Oluchi actively seeks ways to actualize community healing and to encourage women to speak the truth of their experiences. So far in her PPA experience, Oluchi has been particularly moved by the deep listening activities. “Deep listening changed my life,” she shared. She has brought this listening practice into her work, family, and her community. “I feel a burden has been lifted from my heart,” Oluchi shares, “I feel lightened!”
“When I go out I try to apply what I learn in PPA. It helps me in my journey, in my NGO, in my family.”
Oluchi has helped countless people in her work and in her community, and yet is a humble leader. “It is as if I am not doing anything yet – the more you do the more you see.” Oluchi’s incredible learning and growing mindset equips her to lead from the heart. Her empathy, compassion, and creativity ground her in truly centering the experience of the girl and leading a culture of peace where all girls are uplifted. Oluchi is currently working to honor and share the voice and experience of girls through her coming book “I Am A Girl Child.” Written from the perspective of a girl, “I Am A Girl Child” details numerous issues impacting young girls, and courageously calls to the audience what they need to do to step in and support girls to actualize their dreams.
Oluchi proudly and profoundly believes girls need to be at the forefront. Through her own inspired path of peacebuilding, she uplifts girls and women all around her - creating and claiming space for girls and women to lead their own authentic, powerful lives.
(For more information about Youth for Peace, please visit the Youth for Peace web site.)
