Project Report
| Nov 19, 2013
GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
By Beverly Gilbert Stone | Director
![Mary]()
Mary
School is closed for 2013. A recent trip to Kipsing Academy revealed at least 9 girls needing sponsorship for school for 2014. The dormitories at Kipsing Academy are full of pastoralist girls. As long as they can stay in school they are relatively safe from FGM and Early Forced Mariage. Both practices are illegal in Kenya and school is mandatory. But pastoralist families often carry on their traditional beliefs in spite of Kenyan law. These girls have been in school and are known by the headmaster. He follows them after the holiday to ensure their return to school. Mary, Ntsawa, Sarah, Winnie, Francesca, Dela, Jukuliza, Leengo and Eliza are all in need of sponsors for 2014. It is $125.00 to sponsor a girl in the dormitory. These girls have at least one parent and that parent makes a contribution as well. The Catholic Church sponsors the dormitory, the $125.00 is a contribution towards this subsidized fee and the cost of money transfer. Consider the gift of education for a pastoralist girl in Kenya during this holiday season.
![Ntswawa]()
Ntswawa
![Winnie]()
Winnie
Links:
Aug 29, 2013
Kipsing Academy
By Beverly Gilbert Stone | Director
![Kipsing Girls win competitions in Isiolo]()
Kipsing Girls win competitions in Isiolo
Kipsing is a small rural village 78 km from Isiolo, Kenya. Many years ago the Catholic Church established a mission in this pastoralist community and built a school. Now, many years later, the school has been turned over to the government and the Catholic Church continues to manage the dormitories.
The Headteacher of Kipsing Academy is extremely active in the community. He works hard to ensure education for the girl child. Girls will run away from home to the school. He works with families to help them understand the importance of education for the girl child and the laws of Kenya which forbid FGM and Early Forced Marriage. The biggest barrier to his work is locating assistance to keep the girls in the dormitory while they attend school and during holidays when insistent fathers will marry off the girls. The Catholic Church subsidizes the dormitory but requests a family contribution.
Thanks to your assistance, Expanding Opportunities is assisting four girls to receive an education at Kipsing Academy. There are many more on the waiting list.
Links:
Jun 6, 2013
Still Going On
By Bevelry Gilbert Stone | Director
"Despite the condemnation of FGM, internationally often seen as a violation of a woman’s rights, the Pokot community have continued to embrace this ritual whose long-term physiological effects include septicaemia, genital malformation and even death."
This is an excerpt from an article published in the Standard Digital, June 6, 2013. The full article entitled,
"Going under the knife destroyed innocent young student’s life", is here, h
ttp://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000085346&story_title=going-under-the-knife-destroyed-innocent-young-student-s-life&pageNo=4
Though outlawed long ago, the traditional tribes continue this ritual. Isolation, lack of education, love of culture all contribute to the persistence of these harmful practices.
Leadership from within is rising. Women are receiving educaiton and returning to their tribes to lead and educate.
Expanding Opportunities seeks to assist these leaders to eradicate these harmful practices with education and sensitivithy to culture.
Links: