"My Journey":

Mary Mbukpa is a 47 year old mother of three girls residing in the beautiful and serene city of Calabar, Cross River State (CRS), Nigeria. Mary is from Abijang village in Etung Local Government Area in CRS. Her village is about four and half hours’ drive from the capital and a 35/25 minutes ride by speed boat depending on whether it is the rainy or dry seasons respectively.

The community main occupation is farming which they do across the river to the other side and some people have farmlands at the far end of the community forest. The people plant crops and harvest them in their season and take to Ikom to sell where in turn they by their household needs and return to the village, farming here is not on a large scale and something for people to live by. My family once lived in the village and as time went on, only my grandparents live there while the my parents, uncle aunties, cousins and nieces left to school, and to find work.

The challenge I face now is how to improve digital literacy among women and girls and use the social media to drive the needed change in policy and education of women and girls to know the resources that are available and accessible to them.

I am passionate about women development and look forward a world where women are girls are empowered to take positive action.