The theme for the International Day of the Girl 2024 is “Elevating Girls’ Voices for Sustainable Development”. As a Trustee of Book Aid International and a passionate champion of girls’ education, I recognise the power of education, and specifically the role of access to books in building sustainable livelihoods for girls especially in Africa.

Growing up, books were my escape route, my guiding light and my wings to fly.

I benefited from having an educator for a mum and access to a library that was supported by Book Aid international. When reflecting on this year’s theme,  I thought it would be inspiring to elevate the voices of the wonderful women I encounter every day.

These are scholars from Africa at the University of Oxford. We recognise the platform that books have allowed us to stand on, and more importantly, we are driven to make that same platform available to girls everywhere. We elevate girls’ voices not just because they matter for sustainable development but because the story of our collective humanity is incomplete without them.

We hope you enjoy the stories, get emboldened to share your #powerofbooks stories and join us to elevate another girl’s voice through our Generation Reader campaign.

Dr. Anne Makena

Founding Co-Director, Africa Oxford Initiative

Trustee, Book Aid International

The elevating power of books: Reflections from Oxford

“Books are a gateway to greatness, especially for girls and young women. In many parts of the world girls are held back by poverty, early marriage, or gender expectations that box in their aspirations. But when they have access to books, something extraordinary happens — they gain not just knowledge, but the power to dream, to imagine, and to transform their lives. There is strong and conclusive evidence from the UKRI GCRF Accelerate Hub that demonstrates that girls’ education, literacy and access to books in sub-Saharan Africa can have a transformative effect on social inclusion, household and societal wellbeing, and intergenerational prosperity for future generations.

For me, books have always been a source of strength. Growing up in a small neighbourhood in Khartoum, my favourite place in the world was the corner-street library. Sitting on coloured mats, surrounded by knowledge sewn throughout hundreds of generations, holding a new Roald Dahl book and an untethered imagination – this was my happy place. In a country where less than half of the girls had access to primary education at the time (now down to less than 5%), I was one of the lucky ones.

Access to books shouldn’t have to be like this, an accidental privilege linked to your home address, but instead a fundamental right for all.

Books introduced me to new ideas, cultures, and stories that have shaped who I am today. They helped me see beyond the circumstances I was born into. A single book can spark hope, confidence, and the belief that a different future is possible – giving girls the tools they need to break free from the cycle of poverty and inequality.

By supporting Book Aid, we’re not just giving children access to books, we’re giving them the opportunity to change their world … and ours.”

“A prevalent issue facing women in Nigeria is a lack of access to information. This includes information related to healthcare, job opportunities, finances, and even self-development. Many studies have shown a direct link between improvement of socio-economic and political status of women and increased access to information. In Nigeria, women are deliberately cut off from information either by exclusion from formal education or exemption from interactions due to cultural practices.

Books – fiction or non-fiction, formal or informal – convey information and experience. Information translates to enlightenment. Enlightenment becomes empowerment. Books, and stories by extension, expand the world and provide insight required to understand and navigate the complex challenges the world presents. Regardless of the specific context of a reader, books present an opportunity to examine a new facet or even just a deeper revelation of an already lived context.

I have read books my entire life and in return for my steadfastness in reading, I have quotes, empathy, an expansive vocabulary, and a knowledge of contexts, facts, models, and frameworks I would not otherwise possess. This is useful in the way that I engage with other people and circumstances in life.

I think the most powerful thing about books is their ability to change you without you realizing it. I think that books are the sieves through which we sift the world, with each scene and event getting clearer and more refined the more we read.

Books will bridge the gap between the communities Book Aid International serves and the rest of the world. The access to information that books provide is invaluable. This access is also transferable, with books serving as a medium through which knowledge will not only be transferred but shared. This shared knowledge facilitates empowerment, lifting women and communities out of poverty and allowing them to interact at a global standard with the rest of the world.”

“Growing up in the remote farm areas in Lusaka West, books were my escape from reality and my bridge to new possibilities. They allowed me to dream beyond my immediate circumstances, immersing me in diverse cultures and offering the inspiration I needed to envision a different future. Books like The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can introduced me to extraordinary women like Dr Tererai Trent, who defied all odds to achieve her doctorate—a story that became the fuel for my own aspirations to do the same.

My love for books has not only shaped my dreams but has also opened professional doors. As a Gender Outreach Coordinator at Lubuto Library Partners under PEPFAR’s DREAMS initiative, I facilitated an all-girls book club that focused on HIV prevention, education, and gender equality. Many girls in our communities lacked role models, but through our book club, they found powerful female protagonists they could admire and learn from. Books became their guides, encouraging them to make transformative life choices, like returning to school or overcoming gender biases.

The power of books lies in their ability to change lives. Access to books empowers girls and women to challenge societal norms, make informed decisions, and pursue their dreams.

This is why campaigns like Generation Reader are crucial—they ensure that 10 million children, particularly girls, have the chance to open the same doors that changed my life. By supporting Book Aid International, you are giving girls the power to dream, learn, and transform their futures, uplifting entire communities in the process.”

“In my country Kenya, a major issue facing girls is the lack of access to quality education. Many families and communities prioritize early marriage for girls, seeing it as a way to secure bride price and economic benefits rather than investing in their education. As a result, girls often miss out on the opportunity to attend school. For those who manage to attend public schools, there is a significant lack of resources, particularly books, which are essential for their growth and development.

For those fortunate enough to access books, it expands their thinking and motivates them to strive for opportunities beyond the societal norms set for them.

Personally, having access to books as a young girl in western Kenya changed my life. Books challenged my mindset and allowed me to envision a future as a doctor, setting me on a path of academic and personal growth.

They improved my eloquence and deepened my expertise, shaping my career trajectory. I believe books are life-changing because information is power, and books are vital tools for disseminating information.

For communities typically served by organizations like Book Aid International, books can be a lifeline. The books will contribute to empowering individuals, opening doors to new possibilities, and breaking cycles of poverty. Supporting book initiatives in such regions can lead to sustainable change, equipping children and young people with the resources they need to reach their potential and build brighter futures—especially in a continent with such a large youthful population.”

“Reflecting on my journey with books, one pivotal moment stands out—my transition from primary to secondary school. After seven years at a primary school in Nkulumane, a high-density suburb in Bulawayo, moving to a city-centre school felt like a significant shift. Suddenly, I found myself among students from what we had perceived as prestigious backgrounds, where English was used almost as a measure of intelligence. Our headmistress enforced a strict “no vernacular” policy during school hours. Though I had always been intelligent and confident, in that space, I doubted whether I could compete with peers from “better” schools.

Books became my refuge and equalizer. I buried myself in reading, devouring Nancy Drew, The Famous Five and other books I borrowed from my English teacher, Ma’am Mafikela’s mini-library.

Reading transformed my relationship with English as a subject and a tool for expression and understanding. Through books, I expanded my vocabulary and became familiar with words and worlds that had once seemed foreign.

This improved my essay writing and helped me excel in class, where my teacher awarded extra marks for creative, expressive writing.

English, as a colonial language, continues to dominate our education systems, and it is unfortunate that young girls from homes where the language of socialization is vernacular are often disenfranchised. They are graded in a language that doesn’t fully recognize their intelligence. While this is a broader challenge for governments and global organizations, access to books and fostering a reading culture can help young girls navigate an otherwise rigged world. Denial of the access to reading denies them a chance at doing well in the existing system and the potential to change it for the better.”

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