By Kipilat Kaptuya
In the remote village of Kotulupuogh, the effects of work being done by Irep Foundation and Too Early to Wed organizations can be felt. Fathers from the village have had a changed heart and started educating their daughters.
At 12:30 pm every week day, Mr. Josephat Long’ole Loremoi, a 45 year old man sits on the akicholong (Pokot name for traditional stool), outside his grass thatched hut ready to welcome his two daughters, Catherine Chemawieny (12) and Sandra Kaplech ( 11) from school.
The father of 16 is a happy man, smiling from ear to ear as he welcomes his two lovely and beautiful daughters from school with hugs and warm greetings.
Loremoi, who hasn’t attained any formal education, is very happy that his kids are in school. He serves his daughters with milk as he engages them on how they are doing in school.
Thanks to Irep Foundation and Too Early to Wed foundations, Loremoi has gone against the community norms to educate his daughters, for daughters attaining formal education in Pokot is kind of unheard of due to repugnant practices and beliefs.
Irep’s initiative has changed the mindset of a number of fathers in the area and convinced them to take their young girls to school. It has provided for daughters to have a platform with their fathers to have dialogues and discuss issues affecting them.
Loremoi said that he didn’t know about education till he joined a local church.
“The church has helped me. I have taken all my children to school,” he said.
He is optimistic that his children will be a blessing to the family.
Irep Foundation Director Ms Domtillah Chesang said the organization was started as an approach to strengthen and enhance the bond between fathers and their daughters and to bring to an end the harmful outdated practice of Female Genital Mutilation [FGM].
She noted that traditionally, Pokot girls had no opportunity to sit down with their fathers and that their new approach has started bearing fruits as fathers have been actively involved in their daughters’ lives.
She revealed that the concept is being implemented in the most marginalized and remote areas of Kotulupuogh and Masol areas where FGM practice is 100% prevalent.
“The approach will maximize fathers’ involvement in the education of their children. It will also help in the simple interactions that might seem small to dads but mean a lot to their children,” he said.
She added that they are educating the community on negative health implications and are empowering girls through education.
Chesang reveals that the concept was started last year when cases of FGM and early forced marriages rocked the county.
“Our aim is for parents to understand the negative effects of FGM and early forced marriages for them to make informed choices. We want to root out issues of Gender Based Violence and child marriages,” she said.
She revealed that they settled on Kotulupuogh village in Masol word because it is the most marginalized and remotest ward in the County hence children have no access to basic education.
Chesang noted that the area has 100% female genital mutilation [FGM] cases and high illiteracy levels.
She said they have talked to about 20 fathers and have gotten 14 girls who are currently learning at Ortum Girls Primary that doubles up as a rescue center for girls who run away from retrogressive cultural practices.
She added that many girls are still at home and that they shall replicate the methodology in other areas within the county.
Puropoi Girls High school Principal Ms Jamas Muray, who is also a volunteer at Irep Foundation, said the new approach has helped to empower many girls.
She said the platform has given girls opportunities that they have never had in life.
“We have empowered young girls on health hazards,” she said.
She added that the main reason they are fighting FGM is because it is a recipe that leads to early marriages.
She added that the rescued girls can now speak Kiswahili and English and stressed on the role of a father in their children’s lives.
She urged fathers to give their daughters a chance to get education.
Ms Celestine Chepkemoi, a caretaker at Ortum Girls, said the two girls went to school when they couldn’t even speak Kiswahili.
She adds that he helped the girls with translation, homework, sanitation, looking after their belonging, bonding and taking them to hospital in case they fall sick.
Yvonne Chelimo, a pupil at Ortum Girls, lauded the organizations for their help.
Julia Chemtai, a standard six pupil at Ortum girls, says her life has changed since she joined school.
