TheCable

United States First Lady, Michelle Obama, says she and her husband, President Barack Obama are “outraged and heartbroken” by the kidnap of more than 200 Nigerian girl-pupils in Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram.

Solely delivering the White House weekly address for the first time on Saturday — she has joined Obama to deliver the address in the past, but never solely — Michelle promised that the American government would do “everything possible” to assist Nigeria in rescuing the girls.

“Like millions of people all over the globe, my husband and I are outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school dormitory in the middle of the night,” she said.

“This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education — grown men, attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls.

“And I want you to know that Barrack has directed our government to do everything possible to support the Nigerian government’s efforts to find these girls and bring them back home.”

Michelle said that in the kidnapped girls, she and the American president see their own daughters, their hopes and their dreams; and can only imagine the anguish that parents of the kidnapped girls are feeling at the moment.

“Many of them may have been hesitant to send their daughters off to school, fearing that harm might come their way. But they took that risk, because they believed in their daughters’ promise, and wanted to give them every opportunity to succeed,” she said.

“The girls themselves also knew full well the dangers they might encounter. The school had recently been closed due to terrorist threats. But these girls still insisted on returning to take their exams.

“They were so determined to move to the next level of their education — so determined to one day build careers of their own, and make their families and communities proud.”

Michelle lamented that what happened in Nigeria was not an isolated incident, but an everyday story, as girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambition.

“It’s the story of girls like Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan. Malala spoke out for girls’ education in their community; and as a result, she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman while on a school bus with a classmate.

“But fortunately, Malala survived. When I met her last year, I could feel her passion and determination, as she told me that girls’ education is still her life’s mission.

“Malala said in her address to the United Nations: ‘The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died; strength, power, and courage were born.”

She charged the rest of the world to take stronger actions to help the plight of more than 65 million girls worldwide who are not in school.

“The courage and hope embodied by Malala and girls around the world should serve as call to action,” she said, “because we know that girls who are educated make higher wages, live healthier lives, and have healthier families; and when more girls attend secondary school, that boosts their countries’ entire economy.”