Apparently, this is what some of our primary school girls believe.
I had the great honour and opportunity to attend this year's Ikolomani South Zonal Educational day which took place at Eregi Girls' Boarding Primary School. The annual event normally details presentation of the previous year's K.C.P.E (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) examination results and trophies to pupils and schools with exemplary performance.
Just before giving my talk (I didn't consider it much of a speech), I decided to carry out a small survey where I gave out questionnaires to 3 anonymous girls. I asked the following questions in the questionnaires:
1. Why are you in school?
2. What would you like to become in future (career wise)?
3. What qualifications do you require for you to become (your answer to 2)?
I would like you to take a moment and ask yourself what answers you would have given at the age of 12.
Here are the answers I got:
Question 1:
• To acquire knowledge
• To achieve in my future
• To build my future and become a great person
Question 2:
• I would like to be a lawyer
• I would like to be a manager
• I would like to be a neurosurgeon
Question 3:
No one gave an answer for this
I turned to the parents, teachers and then the pupils and asked where the problem was and who was to blame for the girls' not-so-good performance. I got no answer but the respective parties promised to go back to the drawing board and check what bits of their role they haven't been playing.
After the function, many girls came up to me asking where I went to school (primary). I told them that I had gone to Lukusi and Shavirotsi Primary schools, both very remote and that we never wore shoes to school. They couldn't believe this…that's when I discovered that to them, to be successful, one must come from a very rich background...and be a boy for that matter. They believe that technical courses (those that require merit in Sciences including Mathematics) are only for girls and boys from well off families.
Is this true? Is it just an assumption by these girls. Time was not on our side so I promised to create a day just for the girls, where we'd sit down and talk... talk and talk about issues affecting them.
Afrigirl donated the trophy below and a shopping voucher to the best girl in Science.
Watch this space for a couple of recommendations that I came up with, and will be presenting to the girls/parents/teachers during my next visit.
View more photos from the function on our Facebook page and do not forget to like the page.
Email me your /views/recommendations/story or simply leave a comment.
I had the great honour and opportunity to attend this year's Ikolomani South Zonal Educational day which took place at Eregi Girls' Boarding Primary School. The annual event normally details presentation of the previous year's K.C.P.E (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) examination results and trophies to pupils and schools with exemplary performance.
Just before giving my talk (I didn't consider it much of a speech), I decided to carry out a small survey where I gave out questionnaires to 3 anonymous girls. I asked the following questions in the questionnaires:
1. Why are you in school?
2. What would you like to become in future (career wise)?
3. What qualifications do you require for you to become (your answer to 2)?
I would like you to take a moment and ask yourself what answers you would have given at the age of 12.
Here are the answers I got:
Question 1:
• To acquire knowledge
• To achieve in my future
• To build my future and become a great person
Question 2:
• I would like to be a lawyer
• I would like to be a manager
• I would like to be a neurosurgeon
Question 3:
No one gave an answer for this
I turned to the parents, teachers and then the pupils and asked where the problem was and who was to blame for the girls' not-so-good performance. I got no answer but the respective parties promised to go back to the drawing board and check what bits of their role they haven't been playing.
After the function, many girls came up to me asking where I went to school (primary). I told them that I had gone to Lukusi and Shavirotsi Primary schools, both very remote and that we never wore shoes to school. They couldn't believe this…that's when I discovered that to them, to be successful, one must come from a very rich background...and be a boy for that matter. They believe that technical courses (those that require merit in Sciences including Mathematics) are only for girls and boys from well off families.
Is this true? Is it just an assumption by these girls. Time was not on our side so I promised to create a day just for the girls, where we'd sit down and talk... talk and talk about issues affecting them.
Afrigirl donated the trophy below and a shopping voucher to the best girl in Science.
Watch this space for a couple of recommendations that I came up with, and will be presenting to the girls/parents/teachers during my next visit.
View more photos from the function on our Facebook page and do not forget to like the page.
Email me your /views/recommendations/story or simply leave a comment.
you are doing good by encouraging the girls but the idea that some causes are meant for the rich is because their dreams are crushed very early in life especially with the parents themselves..
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