I am Powerful

By Saraswoti Puri, Anita Thapa, Jamuna Karki, Pasang Sherpa, Dolma Sherpa, Salina Basnet, Furwa Sherpa, Muna Tamang at our partner The Small World in Nepal

In every breath, a spark ignites,
within my soul, where power alights.
Through trials faced and battles won,
I stand resilient, a force begun.

In every word, a thunderous roar,
Echoes of strength, forevermore
with courage, coursing through my veins,
I conquer fears, break free from chains.

In every step, a quake beneath.
As mountains move with my belief.
I am the architect of destiny’s flight,
Guiding my path with unwavering might

In every heartbeat, a symphony, 
of resilience, of possibility.
For in my being power resides,
A force unstoppable, where dreams collide. 

I am powerful, a force untamed,
infinite potential, never to be tamed.
With every breath, every pulse, every stride,
I am powerful, I shall never hide.

I am Powerful

By Abigael Mutheu, a student at She’s the First’s partner Savana Kitui

I am powerful, so powerful indeed

I can make choices in my own

I am powerful, so powerful indeed

I can chose what is right and 

wrong I am so powerful

I say No to early marriages,

I am powerful, so powerful indeed

I am powerful because I am made

fearfully and wonderfully made

I can say no to female genital

Mutilation (FGM)

I am powerful, so powerful indeed

Nobody should make choices

for me.

I am powerful, I can make my choices

alone 

I am powerful, so powerful indeed

---

Abigael and Mary Mutheu are girls in She’s the First’s partner program Savana Kitui in Kenya. Abby wrote the poem above as a Girl Gazette advocacy activity, and the two of them made this activism poster together.

Education! Education! Education!

By Hellen Kiden Angelo, South Sudan, a student with our partner Caring Hearts Initiative for Community Development

Education! Education! Education!
Education is the key to life
When people look at me,
They see I am different from others
My religion, my colour my blood
They think I am not educated
But I am proud of myself for not giving up
for loving my family
for wanting help my country
and for getting my education

My religion is peaceful, my colour is beautiful
My blood is Somali
My mother pushed me to get my education
Even through when I was young
I thought I was punishment
But now I cherish what I have learned
Knowing that without education I would be lifeless
Education is what make me to be a brave girl
Without education I am nothing

---

Hellen’s poem was also published in the September 2024 edition of The Girl Gazette, a biannual publication of artwork, poetry, and essays by girls in the She’s the First partner coalition.

A Force Untamed

By Sushila Giri, 18, Nepal, a student with our partner Shequal Foundation

In every girl, there's a leader inside,
She walks with strength, with grace as her guide.
In her heart, ambition ignites,
Guiding others through the darkest nights.
With wisdom's voice, she leads the way,
In her presence, doubts start to sway.
She doesn't falter, her flame burns bright,
Empowering others, she spreads her light.

In every girl, a force untamed,
In her leadership, the world is reclaimed.
Let's celebrate her strength and might,
She's the beacon shining in the night.
I am powerful, she proudly proclaims,
Leading with courage, she makes her name.
In every girl, this power resides,
With her leadership, the world abides.

---

Sushila’s poem was also published in the September 2024 edition of The Girl Gazette, a biannual publication of artwork, poetry, and essays by girls in the She’s the First partner coalition.

I am Wonderfully Made

By Lucy Mutheu, Kenya, Savana Kitui

I am wonderfully made,
I appreciate my body,
I love and respect my body,
Oh! my body my choice.

Seeking for guidance and counseling,
Whenever i am troubled,
Will always help to became a better person,
Oh! my body my choice.

Nobody should touch me,
Nobody should abuse me because of my body,
I will always accept my body
Oh! my body my choice.

---

Lucy’s poem was also published in the September 2024 edition of The Girl Gazette, a biannual publication of artwork, poetry, and essays by girls in the She’s the First partner coalition.

My Body, My Choice

By Yassin Jarju, 15, a student in The Gambia with our partner Starfish International

In a world where choices are made,
my body, my voice will never fade.
For I am a girl, strong and true,
menstruation is a part of me too.

It's a natural cycle, a sign of life,
bringing strength and power
I embrace it with love, for it's a gift,
a reminder of the beauty that my body uplifts,

So let's celebrate the freedom we possess,
to make choices that honor our happiness.
for my body is mine, and I have a voice,
to stand up, to be heard, to make my own choice.

To all the girls out there, remember, you have the power,
to embrace your body, to accept yourself and to love yourself.
Together, we stand, strong and true,
supporting each other, me and you.
With respect and love, we'll always rejoice,
for our bodies are ours, and we have a choice.

In this journey of life, you're in control,
with every decision, let your spirit unfold.

No one else can define who I am,
my body is mine, a precious gem,
I embrace my body, and make all the choices
choices about me, choices about who I am.

I stand tall, with confidence and pride,
in my body, my sanctuary, where I reside.
I make the choices that feel right for me.
for my body is mine, and I am free.

---

A quote from Yassin’s poem was also published in the September 2024 edition of The Girl Gazette, a biannual publication of artwork, poetry, and essays by girls in the She’s the First partner coalition.

A Woman Rises

By Punya, 18, India

In shadows cast by doubt and fear,
A woman rises, strong and clear.

Her spirit, fierce, a beacon bright,
Empowered soul, a guiding light.
With every stride, she breaks the chains,
Defies the echoes of old refrains.

In unity, her strength unfolds,
A tapestry of stories told.

No longer bound by biased views,
She paints the world in vibrant hues.
Her voice, a melody of might,
Resounds through every day and night.

In resilience, she finds her grace,
A symphony of strength, embrace.
Empowerment, a flame untamed,

A legacy by her name proclaimed.
Through trials faced and battles won,
A woman's journey's never done.

United, let our voices ring,
In empowerment, together sing.

---

Punya is an 18-year-old teen who is driven by a fierce passion through various forms of creative writing, including poetry. Through her dedication to reading, writing, and learning, Punya has cultivated a deep curiosity about the world around her and a desire take a meaningful impact on the society. She was previously published by She’s the First as part of the Power of Poetry campaign.

---

Artwork provided by British Library/Unsplash

Those Scars and Fallen Stars

By Mishika Kapoor, 19, India

Those Scars

The scars prominent

Fevering the skin into dominance

The splashes still alive

Burning my heart from inside

Bruised face I hide behind the veil

Cause no one will stand for my pain

My eyes rain heavily

But emotions go silent

If I speak out people will talk

Such are the words I hear on loop

Will I hide all life

Covering my face can I survive

The revenge was baseless

Denial was my decision

But it wasn't respected,

I was abused, and lashes were painted on my face

A small ego destroyed my existence

For them it was a joke

But my whole life will rot

They are laughing while I cry in pain

I won’t sit behind bars

It wasn't even my fault

The guilt will cry

Many more like me will come out with pride

I will voice against the wrong

Acid attacks are not cool at all

The bruises burns the heart

Ripping the soul deeply apart

---

Fallen Stars

Sitting under the open sky

Gazing, as the stars fly

In the embrace of winters

Feeling frozen even around cinders

I think about the world

And my mind all swirled

A muse with the stars

The future bars.

My fallen stars

Jingling at my door while playing guitar

For I never wanted the story to end

YOU were a blessing to me, Oh Friend!

A magical spell so pale

Just like the fairy-tale

Of Prince, Princess and the Magic Hat

People said, ‘life isn’t like that’.

‘There are no wonderlands, no magic’.

But still I had dreams, such dramatic

My magic spell got shattered and frozen

Leaving just a soul completely broken

Which was mine, such a plight

Was the world right………?

---

Mishika Kapoor is a 19-year-old student studying Medicine who has had two volumes ov her poems published. “Being from India, I have seen women go through a lot since my childhood. Women choose to keep quiet due to societal pressure, and this is what I want to stand up for. I think women are no less than men, and men have no right to violate women or their rights.” Mishika wants to motivate women to speak out and change this patriarchal society. She has been writing since she was four, and her poems have been published in various national and international journals.

Unboxed

By SarahAnne Nigra, 21, She’s the First Youth Ambassador

You can try to take my freedom

My decisions

Strip me from my innocence

Destroy property that doesn’t belong to you

Wipe my dreams with your words

Remove my power

Leave me feeling helpless

Push the standards society has set for girls like me

Tie me down with restrictions

And critique my every move

But the most powerful thing I have is my voice and knowledge

It might get silenced from your ignorance

But you cannot take that

My mind and intelligence will never be yours to take

That will stay even when you try to put me in a box I will find my way out

Every obstacle I encounter I am freed from because I am in charge when it comes to

My education

My dreams

My goals

The knowledge I carry

I will be heard

You can try to take what’s not yours but my mind will always win.

This is a never ending battle

but the willpower I’ve gained from walking out of the impossible cannot ever be

broken

It will not be easy but it is my path

And my voice and decisions will not only be listened to but heard

An educated and respected woman I will always be even when the odds are not in my

favor.

---

A girl with an education is unstoppable—but barriers like gender discrimination, poverty, and exploitation prevent many girls from reaching graduation. Our Youth Ambassadors created the Power of Poetry campaign to amplify girls' voices about this issue for Poetry Month and the the Global Action Week for Education.

---

SarahAnne Nigra is a 21-year-old college student who is working toward becoming a psychologist. Outside of her schoolwork, she is a model who loves writing poetry, horseback riding, and volunteering at her local stable. She is also a Youth Ambasssador for She’s the First. “Girls’ rights to me means all girls should have a voice and it should be heard.”