Interwoven Lives, Interwoven Action

On April 13 2025 Maria Mbanga of Hope For Her Global called a meeting of women leaders to discuss the recent censoring of these young actors in Kenya. Now known as The Butere Girls, this theatre team of girls was about to perform a play: Echoes of War. It was a call to action.

Maria, who continues to make it possible for Hope For Her Global and World Pulse sisters to meet and conspire, opened with a recognition of the importance that our meeting was intergenerational, women and girls meeting to plan how to keep known in the news that this play had been censored, making sure these girls know they are not forgotten, that we are aware and standing with them, as we stand for all of the girls whose voices are not being heard. 

I listened to know and keep known the news carried through this recent meeting. A recording is attached and the experience of watching is a gift. What happened is being kept known by repeating the story, another attack intended to silence women, in this case talented and courageous girls. We live to end violence against women and girls. It is unacceptable that these girls and the author of this play were silenced.

The zoom was a direct report and a call to action. We met welcoming this chance to have information, to speak out together, to name this silencing of these girls ready to perform the play. In protest of the censorship they took the stage, stood for the national anthem, then exited, a strong and silent statement. 

As our online meeting opened, Maria called out No! to the silencing of these girls’ voices. The silencing of girls ready to perform their strong and deliberate message. Their courageous decision to stand through the opening National Anthem, then exit. Maria called out to these girls and any girls being silenced, to know that we are with them. Sending this story through World Pulse we keep the news known and documented.

What followed the statement made by the girls was a list of the violations of human rights with Violet speaking to us from the midst of this silencing in Kenya, questioning why news from the Global South is reported so rarely, why support offered outwardly is not returned and calling for continuation of this conversation, to carry the message that voices count and that these girls know that their voices count.

As each spoke, a collective call for continued action was built to advocate for people facing injustices, people who don’t make the news. From the news reported from Kenya where it happened, many of us from different parts of the world are making sure this is known. 

In the course of two hours these were the calls for action: Attention to this silencing. Recognition that this silencing of these girls is a blatant, aggressive pushback intended silence the voices of women and girls, these girls being our future. The pain that these young ones must be going through and the pain so many women and girls still suffer at the hands and laws of men is the reason we continue to transform pain into determination, respect into peace, undo the silencing of free speech within Kenya and globally, so blatant through this incident. We recognize that we face continual silencing by the intentional setting aside of issues related to women and girls. Our fury that these girls’ minds were put under attack, this silencing cannot pass without being exposed. A call was sent out to our global sisterhood to keep these girls’ voices known, to keep them safe, and to expose these silos built to silence speech. Our collective promise to keep this censorship known. Our determination that the voices of these girls matter and need to be heard. A call to all activists that we must not let this go, not let it be forgotten, that this was a specific and direct silencing of young girls about to express their talents and opinions, calling out that women’s and girls’ voices be heard, that young women aspire to and be supported in being outspoken in creating the path forward in our communities, in our countries.

Under attack is the role of art, the mirror of society that reflects on what is happening in our communities, the importance of listening to what young people are saying. These girls who were and are ready to speak out have been silenced. They spoke of women working to be in government leadership, of supporting women seeking government positions, of the power of art in informing and shaping community, the importance of hearing from the GenZ generation, how GenZ’s have been calling for good governance, how each year’s theatre theme is meant to raise questions and how this cancellation is nothing to celebrate.

Those of us meeting believe in the role of art in society, a reflection of the present and of what needs to change. Art is known to be a mirror of society, reflecting the reality of what is happening, what young people are facing, to know that young people are calling for a stop to what is being done “at the top”, with much in need of change. We call for good governance and accountability to put an end to girls being given away in exchange for oil exploitation, governance would ensure that young people are aware of their rights and of the importance of meetings like these to bring forward and amplify these voices, create awareness to prevent a repeat, a nurturing of these voices, a new era of good leadership that takes care of children, of girls still excluded, of everyone, ensuring that basic needs are addressed. This moment a reminder of the joy in the strength of our connections that we can speak to the details of what needs to be changed and with this call, a message to the world once again, that women and girls are being silenced, not allowed to be on stage to say what they were about to say. These are important moments, standing our ground globally and insisting that these girls need to be heard.

Our meeting continued with plans to search for places to perform Echoes of War. A chance to voice our concerns that young people are being dragged into politics, calling for an examination of curriculums, the importance of teaching children their rights, the importance of mentoring and staying close in touch across generations, this chance to work closely together to clear all of the mess for an era of protected rights, good governance, a health system, justice.

To listen:

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/pjgq8kulDU8bhCaboLAaCNbniMtMZHYC5VAx8rw9vQ3ttjQCQxuJF7yzC6Oy-YyR.kextpqJG8sHaj3Uc

passcode: 8pf#MM51

This meeting includes:

Regional Level Government has called for inclusivity. Hold Governments accountable

The right to education

Sign language and needs related to disabilities in place

Girls with disabilities to be heard 

Teaching girls rights in school

Find support for girls left alone

Opportunities to speak

Recognizing sexual violence 

Recognizing abduction

Education beyond school

Challenging current leaders to speak while recognizing dangers

Speak out as women leaders

Ensure education and discussion are accessible online

Continue discussion with schools, teachers, students

Protect freedom of speech

Ensure the girls have support

Examine rights as they stand

Involve Media Houses

Ongoing support for those affected

For parents not to blame themselves

For girls to not blame themselves

Continue to stay close together on this

Document everything

Share with social media

Make schools accountable to the root

Include all countries

We are the sounding boards of each other

Together we are stronger.