Kakenya’s Dream helps to educate Maasai girls

Back in 2009, female circumcision and forced marriages were widespread in the Maasai community. Dr Kakenya Ntaiya, an FGM survivor herself, decided to do something about it.

Thus began Kakenya’s Dream, a not-for-profit organisation that supports vulnerable girls from marginalised families in Narok county through education and protection against harmful traditions, including Female Genital Mutilation, forced child marriage and gender-based violence.

Kakenya’s Dream is based in Keiyan ward in Transmara West subcounty of Narok county, an area largely inhabited by the Maasai community.

Driven by a deep desire to protect girls and guarantee them a brighter future through education, Dr Ntaiya embarked on a journey that would eventually transform lives across the region.

The organisation has consequently set up two learning institutions to ensure holistic learning, safety and the protection for girls as they pursue education.

There is the Kakenya Centre for Excellence I, located in Enosaen village, that caters for primary school girls, while the Kakenya Centre for Excellence II in Isampin village serves a Girls High School.

A current student at Kakenya Centre for Excellence, Maximillan Kemnto, exemplifies the positive impact of the programme on vulnerable girls.

Coming from a financially challenged family, Kemnto had almost lost hope of joining secondary school despite scoring 336 marks in KCPE.

“My parents could not afford school fees, uniforms and other requirements. I remained at home while my classmates joined Form One,” she recalled.

She said the experience left her isolated and emotionally distressed.

“I felt lost because all my friends had proceeded to secondary school, while I remained at home,” she said.

Her fortunes changed after a family friend advised her parents to seek help from Kakenya’s Dream.

“I was invited for an interview and successfully secured admission to Kakenya Centre for Excellence II. Since then, I have never looked back,” she said proudly.

Kemnto described life at the institution as fulfilling and supportive.

“We enjoy good learning facilities, nutritious meals, study trips and supportive teachers. The school also nurtures talents through music, drama and sports,” she said.

The aspiring journalist added that the Kakenya Health and Wellness Centre, also established through the Kakenya’s Dream initiative, provides free medical services and care to students. 

THOUSAND HELPED

With a mission to accord girls equal educational opportunities as boys, to date, Kakenya’s Dream has helped about 1,000 girls escape FGM and early marriage. They have further benefited from quality education, guaranteeing them a bright future.

The initiative was launched at a time when Maasai girls were largely viewed as assets meant for marriage in exchange for dowry.

Parents prioritised educating boys while girls remained at home, performing domestic chores as they awaited marriage.

The challenge was even greater because Kakenya’s Dream was established before Kenya outlawed FGM and child marriage through laws enacted in 2011.

Consequently, the initiative initially faced stiff resistance from sections of the community, who viewed it as a threat to their long-held traditions and way of life.

An elder from Isampin village, Parsaloi Semeyoi, recalled that the Kakenya’s Dream programme faced massive opposition during its early years.

“Many people believed the programme was interfering with our culture. But today, the same community has fully embraced it after realising the immense benefits it has brought,” Semeyoi told the Star during a visit on April 29.

He said the girl-centric programme has successfully eliminated many barriers that previously hindered girls’ education.

Semeyoi said many families have experienced improved livelihoods through the support of educated daughters who have become professionals in different fields.

“Kakenya’s Dream is one of the best things to ever happen in this region. It has brought light to what was once a dark society. Girls from this programme are now doctors, teachers, nurses and other professionals,” he said.

He expressed hope that the organisation would one day establish a university next to the Kakenya Centre for Excellence II to enable girls to pursue higher education in the same environment.

GENDER EQUALITY

Lengetu Ole Sopia, 60, whose daughter is currently in Grade 10 at Kakenya Centre for Excellence II, said the programme has transformed not only Transmara West but also neighbouring regions of Kisii, Migori and Transmara East.

“The Maasai community in Transmara West, Kilgoris and beyond has witnessed the fruits of this initiative,” Ole Sopia said.

“We are proud of having the Centres for Excellence in our midst courtesy of Kakenya’s Dream.”

He recalled that when the programme began, FGM was common and very few girls were allowed to pursue education. However, the narrative has since changed significantly for the better, he adds.

“Thanks to Kakenya’s Dream, FGM has greatly reduced and many parents now appreciate the importance of educating girls,” he said.

Ole Sopia lamented that in the past, young girls were married off at tender ages, sometimes to men old enough to be their grandfathers.

“A girl as young as 15 could be married off to a man aged 40 or even 50 years. People did not care whether or not a girl was mature enough,” he recalled.

He explained that once a girl showed signs of physical development, she was considered ready for marriage after undergoing FGM.

“Fortunately, those harmful practices have largely faded away, especially around areas influenced by Kakenya’s Dream. Residents have rejected the retrogressive traditions,” he added.

Ole Sopia described Kakenya Centre for Excellence II as a “home away from home” for the girls, noting that students are provided with all their necessities, enabling them to focus fully on their studies.

“The programme even supports girls who proceed to universities and tertiary colleges. Many parents now wish to have their daughters enrolled in the programme, but the capacity is limiting,” he said.

He hailed Kakenya’s Dream for sponsoring girls from primary school through to institutions of higher learning, saying the initiative has significantly narrowed gender inequality in education.

COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT

Kakenya Centre for Excellence II deputy principal Chimoli Bibiana said the learning institution provides comprehensive support to girls from vulnerable families.

“We provide school uniforms, meals, learning materials and all other necessities to ensure the girls can focus on their education,” she said.

She added that the institution also supplies sanitary towels, personal effects, books and other essential items.

Bibiana said the school works closely with the community to discourage harmful cultural practices.

“We respect culture, but whenever cultural practices threaten the well-being and education of learners, we engage the community through sensitisation programmes,” she said.

Bibiana added that the impact of the programme is visible through the success stories of former students, some of whom now work within the institution itself.

Kakenya’s Dream education programme manager Victor Nyambok said the organisation has made remarkable strides since its establishment.

“More than 100 girls from our Centres of Excellence have transitioned to university, with close to 20 having proceeded abroad for further studies,” he said.

Nyambok said more than 80 per cent of the school’s KCSE candidates qualify for direct university entry.

“We are committed to quality education that goes beyond academics. We equip girls with leadership skills, life skills, career guidance and sexual reproductive health education,” he said.

Through education, mentorship and community empowerment, Kakenya’s Dream continues to rewrite the story of Maasai girls, replacing fear and limitation with hope, opportunity and achievement.