Girl Rising Ambassador Series: Meet Oley Dibba Wadda

I feel I'm only warming the seats for these young girls to come take over, become the agents of change. They are the ones who will have to deal with all the stages that we're setting up for them and take their own future and their destiny in their hands. How do you define education? It provides the tool for empowerment, the tool for motivation, for self-development and, you know, and for learning as well. Why does FAWE focus on educating girls ages 10-21 in Africa? Because at a very early age, they're married off and they become mothers so they never have that time to grow up as children and to enjoy what it means to be a child. What is your advice to young activists who want to advocate for girls' education? The whole issues of gender iniquities in education, it's not about the flavor of the month, it's not about politics, it's not a game, it's not about something that someone can just wake up in the morning and say this is what we have to focus on on the -- for the next five years. It's about people's lives, it's about being human, it's a reality, it's a fact. When you go out to these communities and whether it's in the United States or in Asia or in Africa or in Europe, these young girls are being streamlined and marginalized because of their sex. What words inspire you that you would like to share with activists around the world? The saying in Wolof is -- [ Wolof saying ] Meaning if you don't know where you're coming from, you wouldn't know where you're going to and that is something I would want every single youth or child that wants to aspire to something always look back and remember where you're coming from so you know where you want to get to. Thank you for watching our interview with Oley!