The Quiz: (decorate your answer sheet: 3 bonus marks) What colour was Negele’s top? Which country does she live in? What year is Negele in at school? Three things that make cows valuable? Two jobs Negele had to do (because she was a girl)? The name of the British girl who narrates the story? One reason why girls were not allowed to go to school? The name of the girl who said ‘no’ to getting married too young? What do they have in their classroom instead of a whiteboard? Two ways the village has changed because of Bokiya’s inspiration?

Rosie is 11. She tells the story of Negele and Bokiya, two girls like her who live in Ethiopia. “In their village, cows are very important. A cow provides lots of what life needs! You can sell milk to get money. But it’s not fair that girls are made to care for the cows (and do other work) while boys go to school. It stops girls from getting educated.”

“This is Negele. She is in Year 6. That’s her house in the background “This is Negele. She is in Year 6. That’s her house in the background. She has been inspired by an older girl called Bokiya. Girls weren’t allowed to stay at school because they had to work, and to get married and have babies when they were too young.”

The main reason child marriages kept going was that men would give cows to the family of the bride. Sometimes that ‘gift’ of a cow was the difference between life and death for a family. But it really meant the girl was being ‘sold’. It was unfair.

“Christian Aid helped Bokiya to learn about her rights: nobody has to marry someone without agreeing it. So Bokiya said ‘no’. It wasn’t easy, but she was the first girl in her village to go to secondary school.

Bokiya became an inspiration to lots of other girls, including Negele Bokiya became an inspiration to lots of other girls, including Negele. Instead of child marriages, they now go to school, to learn and to live a better life.

Bokiya has inspired girls in her whole village Bokiya has inspired girls in her whole village. Christian Aid helped by giving a cow to families where girls stayed at secondary school. But the girls did it themselves.

Negele says: “We have changed our village Negele says: “We have changed our village. Girls and boys are treated more fairly.” The Bible says: “In Christ, there is no difference between male and female: all of us are one in Jesus.”

Choose a prayer: The money to help the girls of Ethiopia is collected in little red envelopes, in Christian Aid Week, in Britain. Last year, £15 million pounds was raised. Just a bit of that, spent on cows and education, has changed lives in Ethiopia.

Choose what you will write [Note: asking pupils to use a writing form of a prayer or meditation is a chosen activity. Make it non-coercive. Write Bokiya’s prayer at the start of the story Write Negele’s prayer at the start of the story Write Bokiya’s prayer at the end of the story Write Negele’s prayer at the end of the story Write Rosie’s prayer for the children from Ethiopia Learn what these sayings from the Christian Bible have to do with the story: “In Christ, there is neither male nor female, but all are on in Jesus Christ.” “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice. They shall be satisfied!”

Choose a prayer:

Values in the story Remember the Bible teaching you are studying: Saint Paul says ‘In Christ, there is neither Jew nor foreigner, slave nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Jesus Christ’ What did he mean? Can you connect up the values to something from the story? If the law is fair, then it must apply equally and to everyone. Bokiya won the same rights for herself as boys have. Everybody counts. A community can change their laws to make them more fair if most people agree. No one has to marry another person unless they agree to do so. Different people have different ideas, but we all have the same rights Everybody should agree that each person’s wishes about their own life should be respected. Tolerance Respect for all The rule of law Democracy Individual liberty

What is there to learn from Bokiya? Select your ‘top three’ lessons The ‘British Values’ of tolerance and democracy, respect and fairness, are Ethiopian values too. Ancient wisdom from the Bible might still be needed today Giving money to charity in the UK is worth it: cows bought in Ethiopia changed lives. A brave person with a sense of fairness can change things for a whole community. There is lots of unfairness all over the world, but together we can change it. Freedom is a human right! No one has to marry someone else unless they agree to it.