International Day of the Girl Child 2016

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing awesome, thanks to my Father in Heaven. This afternoon, I returned from eating lunch with co-workers and returned to my job as a mining engineer. When I get off work, I can drive myself home. I've had formal education. My passion for STEM was nurtured in high school and I was encouraged to study engineering in college, so I received my mining engineering degree from Virginia Tech. As of today, I have had the choice to stay unmarried until God's appointed time for me to do life with the man He's created for me. I was not captured or assaulted before fleeing from Sierra Leone when the civil war broke out in the 90s. I grew up, lived/worked, and still live/work in safe neighborhoods. I have the choice to move to a state (having no family member close by) and live by myself. If I get sick, I have access to healthcare. I can vote in the upcoming elections and have the choice to run for office in the future. I can publicly be a Christian and dress whichever way I choose as long it honors God.

Having shared all of the above, a day like today makes me realize more that there are millions of girls/women who don't have the privileges I've had in life all because they're born a girl. Declared by the UN, today is observed as International Day of the Girl Child. The observation supports more opportunity for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their sex. This year's theme is “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”, is a call for action for increased investment in collecting and analyzing girl-focused, girl-relevant and sex-disaggregated data. One year into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, improving data on girls and addressing the issues that are holding them back is critical for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. Gender inequality includes areas such as right to education/access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, violence against women and unfree child marriage.

I may not be able to change all of these inequalities girls and women face in the United States, Sierra Leone, and worldwide but I'll keep trying through When You Believe Foundation, mentoring young girls, advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls/women in STEM, encouraging my younger sisters/nieces/cousins to strive for excellence, being there for the women in my life, and other ways that God leads me to. Besides my engineering degree, I'm happy to have received my minor in women's studies leadership in college. So today I encourage you to do your part and make this world a better place for all girls and women. You can start with your family and community. Together we can make a difference!

...But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. Genesis 2:20-22.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.