A letter from our editor-in-chief.

Courtesy of Aïssatou Odia Barry.

Dear reader,

Some dreams drift in and out like passing clouds in the sky. Others arrive with a thud, refusing to leave until you pay them close attention. For me, starting a magazine for girls education was an idea I couldn’t stop thinking about. It ate me up, kept me awake at night, knocking on my subconscious until it was heard.

I was eleven years old when I first envisioned myself running a magazine. The inspiration was none other than a Disney Channel movie called Frenemies, starring Zendaya and Bella Thorne. Their characters, Halley and Avalon, were high school students who had co-founded a web magazine called GeeklyChic. The idea was so prolific, a publisher from Manhattan offered to buy the magazine, but on one condition : only one of them could be the senior editor. Tensions brewed, egos clashed, and the friendship between Avalon and Halley was seriously tested. But the two best friends realize they didn't need to risk their friendship over a publisher deal.

I admired the idea of two young girls creating a such a purposeful platform. I too, wanted to run a magazine for girls and women, built on a joint mission to elevate girls’ education as a urgent topic.

But as I reached high school, my vision began to blur. Being “realistic” took over. I was now looking at careers from a pragmatic point of view. I considered becoming an architect (I loved to sketch), but maths weren’t my strong suit. I explored international relations, hoping to one day work in diplomacy, and even flirted with the idea of law school (my parents had drilled into me that I’d make a good attorney because I can argue).

Still, as I neared the end of my undergraduate studies, two truths became clear : I loved journalism and education.

Blessed to have family and friends who believed in me, I found myself emboldened to follow my dream. I applied to top journalism schools in the United States and, to my surprise, got into the Columbia Journalism School. There, I met the most amazing people, the most talented reporters, and most importantly, I developed my passion for education reporting. From interviewing school principals and parents to visiting New York’ s school districts, I immersed myself in school-related stories that were important. Now was time to take a chance at launching my own platform. And so I did.

This magazine is a return to a little girl dream, the one that never really left. It’s a space for the girls who are growing, questioning, and exploring. Be it study hacks, articles, resources for college applications, and even personal essays written by readers, Djiwö Magazine is a movement towards putting girl’s education at the forefront of culture, where it always should have been.

Welcome to the movement.

With love and purpose,

Aïssatou Odia Barry,

Founder and Editor-in-Chief on Djiwö Magazine