Local songbirds Miss JoJo and Knowles staged two separate performances to mark the International Day of the Girl Child in Rwanda. Miss JoJo performed at Kigali Serena Hotel, where students from various schools attended the celebrations, while Knowles was in Muhanga district, Southern Province.In an interview with The New Times shortly after her show, Miss JoJo said, "As girls, we must be focused and determined to get to our destiny through education – the most ideal channel to a bright future.” The R&B singer, born Josiane Uwineza, urged female students to effectively utilise programmes in place and aim higher in academics."Girls have the potential to contribute to the development of the country through various means,’’ said Knowles.After belting out some of her famous tracks, the 28-year-old went on to make a brief speech which referenced to unit and empower girls. She also noted that girls should be given equal opportunities as their male counterparts so they can effectively compete with there counter parts. "As girl students we are happy for this day as it gives us the opportunity to express our challenges that may affect our studies,” said Jacqueline Uwimbabazi, a student from Fawe Girls School.     The International Day of the Girl Child was marked with different messages that included calls to promote girls education, ending child marriages, among others. The UN’s designation of the day reflects the growing awareness of the special challenges girls face around the world.