Benedicta wins Vodafone World of Difference vote

Benedicta and comedienne Deirdre O'Kane and two young helpers at the launch Plan Ireland's "because I am a Girl" campaign.

31 May 2010 - Following ten days of nerve wrecking campaigning Plan Ireland’s “Because I am a girl” Ambassador, Benedicta Attoh, has won the facebook vote for the final place in the Vodafone World of Difference campaign.

Since last September Benedicta has been a tireless and effective campaigner for Plan Ireland on behalf of impoverished girls in developing countries.

Up until now her work for Plan Ireland has been done on a purely voluntary basis but now the Vodafone Foundation will be paying her a salary for the next year.

Benedicta is very passionate about Plan Ireland’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign and is very aware of the difficulties that girls in developing countries have to go through.

“I was one of those little girls” she says in her campaign video“… a victim of a forced marriage. It was a nightmare being married to a man old enough to be my father”.

In her campaign video Benedicta told potential voters that she wanted to bring Plan Ireland’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign alive. With her catchphrase - “A vote for me is a vote for girls and a victory for children” - Benedicta caught the public imagination and she was a convincing winner.