Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), Kenya chapter has challenged Maasai community to stop outdated cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early marriages which has resulted to illiterates and increased school dropouts.
Kajiado County marked this year International Child for Africa held at Inkinye Primary School, Kajiado Central.
International Child for Africa is celebrated in the month of June annually.
Even though the county marked the day with the theme of this year “Education for all Children in Africa, Time is now”, over 30 per cent of the children are nowhere to be seen in school at primary level. Some of them are under People With Disability (PWD).
It’s rampant mostly in Kajiado central and west where girls are being taken over the boarder of Tanzania for FGM and after the process they are being married off resulting to increased rate of school dropouts and teenage pregnancy.
FAWE has been in forefront fighting against the outdated cultural practices particularly FGM, and they have now introduced Imarisha Msichana programme in 20 counties where the project is being implemented including Kajiado.
The programme ensures every girl child accesses education including those with disabilities because some of them are hidden by their parents.
“We have come up with a programme known as Imarisha Msichana project which is implemented in 20 counties and Kajiado County is one of them. The project aims at ensuring every girl child achieves their rights accordingly without discrimination,” said Nelly Nasieku, representative of FAWE in the county.
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According to Assistant Director Cosmas Karera, Children Services, he says that in the last four years drought swept away livestock leaving many households without a single animal, however, it did not go away with education.
The time has come everyone has to realise education is the way forward to save the situation, and it’s the only gift a child can inherit from their parents, said Cosmas while urging the community to value education to all the children even if the child is under PWD.
Kajiado County First Lady Dr Ednah Lenku also challenged the community to value education in the society that can improve the livelihoods and bring real change.
The county government support school feeding programme after it realized many children miss schooling due to lack of food both at home and in school. Since the programme kicked off, the number of learners has increased in schools.
By Michael Opiyo
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