Project Report
| Oct 2, 2016
Community and Educatin
By Beverly Gilbert Stone | Director
![Mother and Daughter. Bridging generations]()
Mother and Daughter. Bridging generations
Our experience in the community of Aremiet continues to reaffirm the importance of community support in the education and human rights for children. This is difficult but a step in the correct direction. The greatest tool that can be used against FGM and EFM is education. As Aremiet desires more control, Expanding Opportunities will continue to support and work toward Human rights for the Pastoralist Girl Child by focusing on education and the girls in several communities. Expanding Opportunities and many other organizations are making an impact in the lives of pastoralist girls in Kenya.
As it is said.”Educate a Girl and you educate a nation” We appreciate your assistance in education as a “rescue” effort, community change and the reshaping of the future.
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Jul 6, 2016
Those Beautiful Beads?
By Beverly Gilbert Stone | Director
![Those Beautiful Beads]()
Those Beautiful Beads
Idyllic, cultural, traditional, beautiful are all words used to describe the beads of the Samburu Trobe. But there is meaning behind the beads. For young females it can be a sign of sexual enslavement. Male relatives, usually older, give beads to their often distant female relative even s young as 6 years old! This beading allows them to have sexual relations but pregnancy is not allowed. Contraception is not available for these young girls. So if pregnancy occurs, they are forcefully and cruelly aboted or if the baby is born it is carried off to the forest to die.
This tragic traditional practice is wonderfully documented in a brief video called A Silent Sacrifice produced by Jane Meriwas n the IWGIA website
http://www.iwgia.org/publications/search-pubs?publication_id=612
It is well worth the few minutes to listen.
Thank you for your support to end these prectices and send the GIRL CHILD to school.
Links:
Mar 24, 2016
Education is the Best Weapon
By Beverly Gilbert Stone | Director
![Pastoralist Girl]()
Pastoralist Girl
Education is the best weapon to ensure Human Rights for the Pastoralist Girl Child. In pastoralist tribes education has not been valued especially for girls, as they will soon belong to their husband’s family. Education has always cost money and for families living in deep poverty, school fees are not high on the list. Therefore the girl child is the least likely to be sent to school. BUT in most cases if the girl child’s school fees are sponsored, they will allow her to attend school. It is there that the child learns she has rights and what they are. The longer she is sponsored in school, the more likely she is to learn and understand the value of education and her right to complete her education and in that way resist EFM and FGM. She will then teach these rights to her own children. Meanwhile education for the adults in the community teaches that these practices are now illegal and also provides education concerning the value to the family of educating the girl child and holding marriage until education is complete.
This young girl’s story is not uncommon. She walked a great distance to seek admission at Gordon Clem Academy; Aremiet mixed Secondary School. Often the girls have no funds but want to attend school. We were unable to raise funds for her education but she was allowed to attend school and share the food in the small dormitory with the others. She is very grateful as her only other option for her daily bread is to allow her father to marry her to someone she doesn’t know. We are still seeking funds to allow her and other girls in similar situations to stay and receive an education.
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