GCAF believes that creating an arena or forum for girls will contribute to the empowerment of young girls as this will encourage them to compete with each other and not with boys. According to the founder of the organisation, Ada Onyejike, girls will tend to lean on boys when tasks need to be achieved but will be more competitive around girls. The organisation uses the arts as part of this process as the arts are believed to promote personal creativity and expression. Girls are encouraged to play music, sing and teach people through their works, paintings, write ups and poems. This in turn encourages confidence, independence and self esteem which is ultimately the aim of the organisation.
The overall objectives of GCAF are to:
As one of their activities, the Girl Child Art Foundation organised the Nigeria leg of the international workshop tagged “Peace Tile Project: Building Bonds between people and communities through art”. The Peace Tile Workshop was a prelude to World Aids Day on December 1 2005. The workshop's goal was to raise awareness about the vulnerability of children and youth to HIV/AIDS, and to provide them with a means for self-advocacy and self expression through a combination of collage and mural work. Works from the workshops were exhibited during the ICASA World conference on HIV/AIDS at Abuja in December 2005.
Chuildren, Women, Gender, HIV/AIDS.
The foundation was formed on October 19 2000 and is registered with the state ministry of women affair and social development, Anambra state. It has membership strength of about 2,800 members nation wide within the ages of 8-24 years.
Membership is open to girls and women who are committed to the objectives of the organisation. It has membership strength of over 2,800 girls nation-wide between the ages of 8-24 years (including members from the on-campus project in different higher institutions in Nigeria).Under the GCAF Campus Initiative (GCI) membership is open to all youths within any higher institution in Nigeria.
GCFY website on August 4 2006 and Daily Sun Article on August 29 2006.