Kakenya Ntaiya did what most girls would consider undoable….she traded a part of her body in order to be granted the chance to go to school. She agreed to undergo the infamous Female Genital Mutilation (FGM - which we all know is against the law and a big health risk to those who undergo it) only if her dad would let her go to High School - he agreed.
Like many other girls from the Maasai community, Kakenya was betrothed at the age of 5. That meant that she already had a 'husband' in waiting and she only had to wait till her initiation (as soon as she reached puberty) which would now mean that she had now become a woman - ready for marriage to her 'fiancé' from since when she was 5. Deep down her heart she always knew that she wanted to study, she wanted to become a teacher. She wanted to dress in nice clothing and wear high heeled shoes. She didn't want to stay home and be a wife and mother, as that is the role of girls who attained puberty. All this inspiration came from her mum who had never set foot in a classroom.
I don't know if it's luck, or determination, or both, but after her secondary school education Kakenya was accepted at the Randolph Macon College in Virginia. After graduating, she came back to her village and swore to change every young girl's life. She established a primary boarding school just for girls - The Kakenya Center for Excellence. The center's curriculum focuses on academics, leadership and female empowerment.
How beautiful would the whole world be if each village had such brilliance? I was so touched by this Ted Talk video where Kakenya gives her testimonial. Watch full video.
Visit the Kakenya Center of Excellence website for more and on how you can help these beautiful and talented African girls attain their dreams.
Image courtesy of the Kakenya Center of Excellence website
Like many other girls from the Maasai community, Kakenya was betrothed at the age of 5. That meant that she already had a 'husband' in waiting and she only had to wait till her initiation (as soon as she reached puberty) which would now mean that she had now become a woman - ready for marriage to her 'fiancé' from since when she was 5. Deep down her heart she always knew that she wanted to study, she wanted to become a teacher. She wanted to dress in nice clothing and wear high heeled shoes. She didn't want to stay home and be a wife and mother, as that is the role of girls who attained puberty. All this inspiration came from her mum who had never set foot in a classroom.
I don't know if it's luck, or determination, or both, but after her secondary school education Kakenya was accepted at the Randolph Macon College in Virginia. After graduating, she came back to her village and swore to change every young girl's life. She established a primary boarding school just for girls - The Kakenya Center for Excellence. The center's curriculum focuses on academics, leadership and female empowerment.
Visit the Kakenya Center of Excellence website for more and on how you can help these beautiful and talented African girls attain their dreams.
Image courtesy of the Kakenya Center of Excellence website
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