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Victoria students sign petition to get Nigerian girls freed

Some Victoria students are turning horror and disbelief over the kidnapping of about 300 girls from a Nigerian school into political action. Girls at St.

Some Victoria students are turning horror and disbelief over the kidnapping of about 300 girls from a Nigerian school into political action.

Girls at St. Margaret’s School and a Grade 8 English class at Spencer Middle School are determined their outrage is at least heard.

At St, Margaret’s, students ages 13 years and older are signing an online petition directed at the Nigerian government.

Those who signed wore red on Tuesday.

“We are an all-girls school and it’s important we try to encourage and empower young women all over,” said Jamaica Pettigrew, 17, of St. Margaret’s.

At Spencer, students are writing letters to their members of Parliament, External Affairs Minister John Baird and newspapers.

Spencer student Liz Wignall said that after a class discussion about the situation, she was determined to voice her outrage, even if just in a letter to the local newspaper.

“It’s so scary,” said Wignall, 14. “These girls are just like me, they are writing an exam and then they are taken away.”

On April 15, Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram kidnapped the girls from their classrooms. The group has vowed to sell the girls into slavery unless Nigerian authorities release imprisoned militants.

Since then, about 50 girls have escaped, but 276 were still reported missing Tuesday.

St. Margaret’s teacher Lisa Ziebart said when news of the kidnapping first hit the school the students were horrified and many felt helpless.

After discussing the incident, students felt they had to do something.

“Instead of just doing something that reached the corners of our school, we wanted to be a little more active and be engaged citizens,” Ziebart said.

Spencer Grade 8 English teacher Jennifer Nixon, whose class is conducting the letter-writing campaign, said the kids drove the whole initiative.

“I basically threw my lesson plan out the window because they were so passionate,” Nixon said.

“It really came out of their empathy and their compassion for others,” she said.

“I’m very happy they will be the leaders of tomorrow, as corny at that might sound.”

rwatts@timescolonist.com