Establish Girls' Empowerment Centre in Rural Kenya

“I sat my KCPE in 1997, and scored 498 out of 700.Can you imagine receiving calling letters from both Lwak Girls and Nyakach Girls (National schools) and not being able to go because your father believes you do not deserve it because you are a girl?” reports a NIGEE girls' mentor.

It has been yet again an action-packed quarter with beneficiaries accessing training at the GEC, bringing with them new ideas and energy to our activities and classes. Our girls’ babies continue to enjoy nutritious porridge provided daily, thanks to our donors! Most importantly, construction of our very own (not rental!!) Girls Empowerment Centre commenced in June and we are all excited to see this HUGE dream kick off.

During the period of April to June 2017 NIGEE continued to advance activities at the GEC:

• So far we have reached 205 girls (70 girls - computer classes, 108 girls - hairdressing and 27 girls - tailoring) with the skills training since the inception of the program.
• In the period under review, we were able to enroll 63 new girls. Presently, 176 girls (41 – computer classes, 108 – hairdressing and 27 – tailoring) are undergoing vocational training at GEC; 29 have completed training.
• We have now purchased two tents to accommodate the large number of girls enrolling for hairdressing.
• Our porridge program continues as a focal point of our activities with the girls. Currently we have 25 toddlers benefitting from the daily porridge offered at 10am. This large number illustrates how important it is for our girls to know that their children are close at hand and are being cared for as they attend classes.
• Our dedicated matron cares for the children while their mothers attend classes and we have an allocated room for the toddlers where they take naps and play.
• There are 12 girls and young women, 3 children, the matron and her child residing in the hostel; 10 are undertaking different courses at the GEC, while two are school going girls who were rescued from difficult living conditions at their homes.
• The GEC and Training Coordinators have worked towards expanding our training capacity by engaging additional 2 tutors to cope with the growth in enrollees; this has made a significant impact with girls now attending both morning and afternoon classes.
• Our 3 dedicated tutors for computer, tailoring and hairdressing courses have now been engaged as regular staff and continue to give quality lessons.Other achievements during the quarter:
• A five day training on Girl-led media was conducted and was attended by 20 participants, thus heralding the beginning of classes for videography and photography being offered at GEC. These initial girls are now participating in a project to film and capture the stories of the girls benefiting from our intervention.
• Our GEC Coordinator participated in an interview with Radio Sahara Kisumu; the interview focused on how NIGEE is empowering our girls through vocational training.
• In our Kuria FGM (female genital mutilation) project, the field coordinator and many of our girls participated in a march to honor the champions who campaign against FGM. This event was graced by Miss Kenya/Miss Africa 2016 who is also a champion against FGM, and an inspiration to all our girls
• Construction of our Girls Empowerment Centre commenced in June which is a long awaited initiative that once completed will touch the lives of hundreds of girls each year by preparing them to continue with their education before transitioning them to regular schools.NIGEE is proud to share a success story of one of our mentors who dedicates her time to encourage and support our girls:

One Mentor’s story

NIGEE has set up bridge centres in two densely populated informal settlements in Kisumu City (in Obunga and Manyatta). We recently set up another one in a rural setting (Seme) which currently has 3 teen mothers. These centres serve as hubs for young teen mothers who would like to resume formal learning. They participate in sessions where they share their experiences both as young mothers and students, to encourage and support each other in their journey back to and through school.

Mentors guide and encourage young girls in the pursuit for quality education and in bridge centres, their involvement inspires these girls to keep up with their studies. They incorporate their personal narratives to inspire girls and young mothers to resume school, proving to them that it can be done.

In Seme, we came across Judith who scored C+ in her national secondary school exams (KSCE) last year and is a mother of 5 children. Her eldest son will be sitting the same exams (KSCE) this year, the second born will sit the same exams next year and the third born the year after. The fourth born is in Grade 7, and the youngest in Grade 5.

Judith knows the struggles a young teen mother faces in resuming formal learning, because she was married at the age of 13. She spent ten years out of school and then resumed, only to face isolation and more challenges at school.

When she talks about her Father, her hands tremble a bit and she keeps her eyes trained on the television screen in her house. Her children are watching a Nigerian movie, and she looks on and then says, “After I had sat for my national primary school exams (KCPE) and passed, my father clearly told me that he would never choose to educate me over his sons and if it hurt so much, that I could kill myself for all he cared.”

The Deputy Head Teacher of her primary school had been the one trying to persuade her father to take her to school and when they could not get through to him, the deputy promised that he would pay for her education. She was happy but that was until she heard his condition: he would pay for her education only if she got married to him, and by then she was 12. She refused and sought admission at a local school and stayed on for only two terms before she dropped out due to lack of tuition fees. She relocated to Seme and that’s when she got married.

At this, she turns and asks, “I sat my KCPE in 1997, and scored 498 out of 700. Can you imagine receiving calling letters from both Lwak Girls and Nyakach Girls (both national schools) and not being able to go because your father believes you do not deserve it because you are a girl?”

Judith knows she will get admission into the University however her priority at the moment is to support her three children who are in secondary school. She admits that having a supportive husband helped her resume her studies and she now encourages young girls who are in school to focus on their studies first. She says that education opens up someone’s mind to what is happening in the world. She wants her children to get the best education and to use their knowledge and experiences to live a better life than she led.

In terms of profession, she is looking forward to pursuing teacher education and believes she would be an understanding teacher as it would give her an opportunity to encourage young girls to stay in school and complete their studies.

As a Mentor of other girls, she feels that young girls at this time and age have many more opportunities to seek for help and guidance in achieving their dreams. Parents are more aware of the value of the girl child, but she wants the girls to know their worth and value first. She mentors the three teen mothers at the Seme Bridge Centre, and is mobilizing more to join.