TheCable

Joy Bishara and Lydia Pogu, two of the Chibok schoolgirls, who escaped from Boko Haram captivity in 2014, have told President Donald Trump not to be discouraged.

The girls made the statement in a letter they read to Trump when they visited the White House last month.

Bishara and Pogu graduated from Canyonville Christian Academy in Oregon in February 2017.

In a statement, the White House said the girls read a letter to the president during their visit.

“Mr President, we urge you to keep America safe and strong,” the letter read.

“We know that some people are trying to discourage you. Do not be discouraged. You are right to keep American safe and strong. Not only for America. But for the world. If America is not safe and strong, where can people like us look for hope, when there is danger?

“Finally, we urge you to keep making America prosperous.”

According to the statement, “The president and Ivanka were both deeply moved by the girls’ visit”.

“The Chibok schoolgirls’ visit coincided with the US state department’s release of its annual trafficking in persons Report,” the statement read.

“In the wake of the report, the two Chibok schoolgirls’ visit to the White House was a reminder that the survivors of the scourge of human trafficking are heroes whose courage can inspire us all.

“Let us recommit ourselves to finding those still in the shadows of exploitation, and let us celebrate the heroes who continue to shine on the darkness of human trafficking.”

The girls, who are being sponsored by the Jubilee Campaign, a human rights group in Virginia, have gone on to open a GoFundme account to raise money for their university education at Southeastern University in Florida.