A female Liberian journalist is inspiring Liberian girls and women to stand up for their future for the empowerment of their selves and their communities.
Ms. Dennise L. Nimpson, a broadcast journalist said Liberia is not different from other African countries including the United States when it comes to the challenges both women and girls go through daily.
“No woman or girl in the United States and other African countries that are getting free money for their sustainability, indicating, that is why women and girls are also homeless in the United States where we all want to go”, she pointed out.
Ms. Nimpson makes these remarks when she spoke to The Advocacy Lens “Story telling forum reporter recently as one of the guests to tell their stories in Monrovia.
She said Liberia is one of the countries in Africa where over the years cultural and traditional practices deprive the girl child of education and other training opportunities. She informed that most traditions believe that the girl child is a stranger in her parents’ homes believing that she belongs to another family, her future husband. They hold the views that it’s the responsibility of the girl’s husband to educate or empower his wife.
I am from the Kru ethnic group many believed to be lover of education, but I encountered challenges as a “Girl” but strived to graduate high school and the State own University, University of Liberia (UL) with BA in Mass Communication and Public Administration December 2018, MS. Nimpson told the Advocacy Lens.
Prior to my graduation from the University of Liberia, she indicated, I obtained certificates in Microfinance Inclusion from Stella Marie Polytechnic 2015, Computer Science, BDOTC 2009, and Tourism and Travel management from Principal College in Accra Ghana 2007.
Ms. Nimpson indicated that, due to the civil war in Liberia, she and her family fled the country to the Ivory Coast, where she continues her education. From the Ivory Coast, she, her parents and siblings moved to Ghana where she completed high school.
She stressed that achieving High school and university education was never an easy task to the effect that she had to sacrifice her time, effort and above all, demonstrated self-confidence—believing in oneself. Every successful woman has a story to tell, stressing that one of the challenges she faced was when she got pregnant while in the 11thgrade.
She dropped out of school and encountered lot of criticisms that could make her forsake going back to school. Keeping focus was the tool that did not tie her down, thus she returned to school after three months when she gave birth.
In class there were classmates that were bent on discouraging her, therefore they engaged in bullying and other negatives that she encountered—indicating I stood the test of time and graduated high school.
After high school graduation, she obtained a job, enrolled in college and at the same time taking care of her child as well as others. She told the Advocacy Lens that she never had normal college life like every other students—indicating, I was always in hurry from campus to work. In order to catch up with lessons, she took up extra hours at night. Even at some point in time generating tuition was difficult. As time when by I lost my job because the employer wanted full-time… that was another obstacle. I did not give up, I made the sacrifice because the focus was a better life for my dependent and I.
Today I’m a journalist, a profession I chose given that the microphone, camera and pen tell the stories of the vulnerable and inspire people and societies.
She strongly believes that advocacy journalism advocates and exposes societal ills that lead to everlasting change; which engenders growth and development. There are people thinking that they can’t make it due to some traditional or tribal beliefs, societal judgment, African practices, and so on. Thousands of young people and older are faced with situations, those who stand up focus, make it to the end, the more you worry and confine yourself, the more time catch up with you. .She inspires young people and adults to regain self-confidence and esteem.
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