By Florence Ndukuyu and Kim Power | Project Leaders
An unexpected direct donation of AUD$4500.00 for this project has meant stage one of the full project could be initiated. The project was officially launched on August 3, 2017, and its significance to the commmunity is highlighted by the number and diversity of the attendees, electioins notwithstanding. Women Without Borders Project Manager, Florence reported:
The invited guests were from Ministry of Gender and Social Development at the County level. The Ministry of Education at County level. The children’s department. The local Administration chiefs, community leaders, women group leaders, head teachers from neighbouring schools, stakeholders any organisation that operate in that community, media 3 different stations, the whole community this includes the care givers and all teachers from Sirisia Primary school.
The launch highlighted the Rights of Children, the benefits of educating girls and the obstacles that the community must work to overcome beyond poverty, such as gender inequality and rape. WWB will work in the village to develop strategies to protect girls and keep them at school. Also, women’s committees have been established in the village which will oversee the girls’ school attendance.
To date, 85 girls (mostly year 8s, but some in year 9) have been equipped for school: The package each girl received comprised of:
¨ A school uniform
¨ A pair of shoes
¨ A pair of socks
¨ 1 sweater per child
¨ 5 books per child
¨ 2 biro pens
¨ Sanitary pads (for 18 older girls)
Many of the children had never had shoes and socks before and they were all visited and fitted by WWB volunteers. In this regard, Florence reported, “Although people moved from here and there looking for votes, our clients were patient, working with us until the final launching day because they had never seen any NGO coming to support them.”
Betty is just one girl able to resume her education due to the program, and her story is an all too common one. Her father is unknown and her mother is mentally challenged so she lives with her maternal grandparents who could not afford to provide for her basic needs, let alone pay her school fees. When she was about to sit for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) she became pregnant and was forced to drop out of school. Judging by national averages for Kenya, she would have been 13-14 years old at the time. She delivered a baby girl, who is now under her care.
When WWB approached her community, Betty, (now 17) was excited to participate and share her story. She has been working for people to get money to support both herself and the baby but was more than keen to return to school and continue with her education in order to be able to support her little girl properly. Betty was willing to share her story with the other children and her speech encouraged many other girls in her situation to join the program. Betty's grandmother will be the baby's caregiver while Betty is at school. Florence wrote to you all, “Thank God for this program.”
However, recently the poor have been further disadvantaged by the riots accompanying the recent elections, which has seen people fleeing the area, including teachers, and schools becoming even more derelict (See below). It is notable that the riots were worst in the slums in Nairobi and Bumgowa County, where entrenched governments provide no infrastructure, utilities or educational resources to the poorest of the poor. Therefore, the students were chosen from one school only, instead of the intended two, as one is achieving poor results and is ill equipped.
Such challenges are not uncommon in developing countries. For example, many girls like Betty are much older than girls in developed countries when they finish the School Certificate in Year 8. The girls drop out temporarily or permanently due to poverty, early teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.
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