“You’ve got this,” Sky said, squeezing her shoulder.
“What if I freeze?” Elo said.
“You won’t,” Sky said.
Her name was called.
She stepped onto the stage and up to the microphone.
“My name is Eloin Vale,” she said. “Twenty-two years ago, when I was eight, I was hurt by someone I trusted. I thought I’d never be okay again.”
Her voice grew stronger.
“But one person cared enough to look closer, to ask questions, to fight for me. That changed everything. Not just for me, but for thousands of children since.”
She looked out over the sea of faces.
“Millions of children in the world don’t have that one person,” she said. “They’re hurt in schools, in foster systems, in their own homes. No one stops it. We can change that. We need global standards. Mandatory reporting. Independent investigations. And most of all, we need to believe children when they speak.”
She talked for twenty minutes, weaving her personal story into data and policy recommendations. When she finished, the entire room stood and applauded.
Over the next year, twelve countries passed new child protection laws influenced by her recommendations. The foundation opened offices in five other nations.