#BringBackOurGirls: One year since the massive Boko Haram kidnapping and 219 Chibok schoolgirls are still missing

On April 14, 2014, 276 schoolgirls were horrifically kidnapped from Government Secondary School in Chibok by Boko Haram. Exactly one year later, the whereabouts of 219 of those young girls remains unknown.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Since Boko Haram severely escalated their reign of terror at the beginning of 2014, at least 2,000 girls and women have been kidnapped, according to Hindustan Times. Those kidnapped have been forced into becoming cooks, sex slaves and fighters. The ones who refuse to comply are killed.

Although the notorious massive kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls sparked worldwide outrage and gained international attention, not much has been done to locate and rescue the remaining 219 girls.

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau announced last year that all remaining girls have converted to Islam and have been "married off."

According to Hindustan Times, the Nigerian military has said it knows where the girls are "but has ruled out a rescue effort because of the dangers to the girls' lives."

Light a prayer candle for the missing Chibok school girls now! PRAY FOR THEIR RETURN --

17-year-old Nobel Peace laureate, Malala Yousafzai believes the Nigerian and world leaders have ultimately failed in helping the kidnapped girls.

"In my opinion, Nigerian leaders and the international community have not done enough to help you," she said in a letter to the teenagers on the eve of the first anniversary of their abduction, according to Hindustan Times. "They must do much more to help secure your release. I am among many people pressuring them to make sure you are freed."

Yousafzai refers to the girls as her "brave sisters" and her "heroes."

Yousafzai's message comes as movements to remember the girls erupts; marches, prayers and vigils are held all over the world. In New York, the #BringBackOurGirls campaign planned to light the Empire State Building with red and purple, to "symbolize an end to violence against women."

"It's wonderful that the world is remembering and... sending the message that we are not going to forget and we are not going to stop until we know what has happened to our girls," campaign group member, Habiba Balogun told AFP.

Boko Haram's terror has not only targeted girls, but boys as well. It has left at least 15,000 people dead and around 1.5 million homeless, with 800,000 of them being children.

The #BringBackOurGirls organizers recognize the support across the world, including big names like U.S. First Lady, Michelle Obama.

"The girls were the symbol for the defense of the dignity and sanctity of human life, of the girl child, women, for all those oppressed, repressed, disadvantaged, hurting, unsafe," they said. "We must prioritize their safe return."

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