Rural schools in Kajiado are faced with a multitude of challenges.

            ◦           Poverty

Majority of rural Maasai households are still dependent on rearing of livestock. This poses not only a challenge but threat to accessibility of quality education for the learners. The change in environmental conditions has made pasture harder to find, leading to children dropping out of school to assist in herding during seasonal mobility. This takes away from a regular school schedule hence poor performance. In a study by the Centre for the study of Adolescence, (CSAKenya, 2016) The County poverty rate was at 36.9%. Only 36% of students transitioning from primary to secondary school.

            ◦           Lack of Teachers, facilities and materials

A huge gap is witnessed when it comes to the teacher student ratio within rural schools. This is not only made worse by the national teacher shortage but also by teacher absenteeism in rural schools due to different mitigating factors. In Kenyewa area of Kajiado county, many teachers reported that the distance from their schools played a big role in absenteeism or transferral requests. This leaves learners in the mercy of overwhelmed teachers with few resources.

Lack of facilities is a major hindrance in access to education. The dilapidated condition of classrooms exposes children to weather conditions which makes it hard for them to concentrate on learning. Boarding facilities that would assist learners in shortening their commute are not available, this does not only make them fatigued by the time of their arrival but also puts them directly in the line of animal human conflict that has plagued rural Kajiado.

In addition to this, access to materials for their learning is scarce.

            ◦           Parent’s illiteracy

A major hindrance to education has been the parents’ literacy. As a bigger percentage are illiterate, they view education as a privilege and not a basic right. This leads to children not being provided with the tools they require for their studies as well as being kept at home to provide labour when they should be in school.

            ◦           Cultural practices and early pregnancy

The prevalence of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) in Kajiado county stands at a staggering 78% according to a study by UNFPA. This makes it among the highest in Kenya. This practice is largely fueled by cultural beliefs that it gives one a better standing in the social hierarchy. Girls who go through FGM are more often than not married off early as they are seen to have come of age, and therefore drop out of school.

Once married, these girls begin child bearing at a young age which not only exposes them to birth complications but also continues the hereditary lineage of poverty and dependence on their husbands.

Early pregnancy is also witnessed in school going girls, 1 in 5 (20%) of girls aged 15-19 have began child bearing. This is caused by poverty, cultural practices and lack of knowledge on contraceptives.

CALL TO ACTION

The basic education act of 2013 recognizes that every child has a right to free and compulsory basic education (Republic of Kenya, 2013)

To ensure that our children get access to this, Patinaai Osim has began various programs to assist schools and the community create a better learning environment.

            ◦           By providing them with resources such as books, solar lamps to aid night study, students do not loose so much of the after school studies.

            ◦           Educating women on the dangers of FGM and importance of education creates an environment that is safe for a girl to study in and out of the school environment.

            ◦           Championing for creation of laws that will see an end to Female Genital Mutilation.

            ◦           Mentorship of young girls

            ◦           Provision of after school tutorials to assist those lagging behind

Patinaai Osim recognizes that all their efforts have been greatly assisted by their partners. The Australian High Commission, GRIC Africa, Kajiado County.

Gender inequality is recognized because it is the main reason for poverty among the  Maasai community, causing a high rate of illiteracy, additionally inhibiting economic  development within the area. Culture and traditions deeply influence a girl’s ability to enroll,  complete schooling, and transition to higher education compared to the boys.  

Illiteracy is the root cause of poverty, malnutrition, and poor health. Education is not only a  means of overcoming poverty, but also increasing income and improving nutrition and health.  This will in turn lead to women’s and girls’ self-confidence improving enriching the standard of  their lives.  

The lack of education has for years made women and girls passive members of their community,  unable to contribute in policy, leadership and decision making. This leaves them oppressed by  cultural norms that no longer serve them, and under the mercy of the male members of the  community.  

The probability of girls school enrollment are significantly lower compared with the boys. The  introduction of free primary education in Kenya led to a rise in school attendance across the  country, however, enrollment rates among girls in marginalized areas like Kajiado County, where  Patinaai Osim is based remains much lower. Enrollment within the first years of school are high,  unfortunately the number of girls enrollment decreases as they ascend to the higher school  grades. This culminates to a significantly low number of high school enrollment of girls into  secondary school. Dropping out of school is attributed to lack of sanitary towels, early marriage,  female genital mutilation (FGM), poverty, social norms and other factors.  

The gender gap in education, however, comes at a high cost to growth and development. The  mothers’ education is the single most vital determinant of a family’s health and nutrition. Gender  inequality must be overcome through increased awareness of the importance of education for all  and endeavoring to retain the number of girls already in school.  

To increase girls’ education, engaging the custodians of tradition and culture: elders, community  and spiritual leaders, elected leaders, youth, and warriors is paramount. They are the primary  decision-makers and exert the power, influence, and authority to control girls’ education. 

Patinaai Osim recognizes that education is a fundamental human right that will empower women  to participate fully in the economic, social and political issues of their communities. Mentorship  programs are carried out to sensitize not only women and girls but also the male as stakeholders,  the importance of a girl’s education.  

Providing information to these girls and women in a language they understand fully has also  been a cornerstone of Patinaai Osim’s efforts in ensuring that there is access to education on an  equal footing. Most of the older women are illiterate and though it may be too late to teach them  a new language, delivering information on nutrition and health in their language goes a long way  in the increase of their knowledge.  Patinaai welcomes like minded individuals and organizations that are passionate about the  empowerment of indigenous communities to partner with us.

Female Genital Mutilation 

FGM is not only a painful physical experience, but also a health risk to young girls. There has been occurrences of a young girl becoming seriously ill after she has undergone the cut and even death due to excessive bleeding. The culture of FGM has been made illegal, however, a lot of young girls are still coerced into it or even forced. The assumption that one is not a lady or ready for marriage before they get the cut, makes young girls, most who are illiterate participate in the mutilation practice.

Early marriages

Traditionally, a Maasai girl is “spoken for” from a very young age, in some instances, even before birth. This leads to a cycle in which women are perceived as cash cows for their father. The more daughters a man had, the wealthier he was in the view of the community. Girls as young as 12 are often forced into marriage because an education is not prioritised. These marriages most times are to men significantly older than they are. Once married, these girls begin child bearing at a very young age. The burden of daily chores that range from house chores, seeking pastures for animals, drawing water from KMs away, and still taking care of the family, lead to a burdened unhealthy lifestyle for these young girls and women.

Illiteracy 

Education is not a priority for many of the parents in the Maa community. This has led to girls not having the resources needed to empower themselves. Lack of empowerment has made them not participate in the decision making in their homes and community, putting them significantly back economically and socially.

Gender Based Violence

A Maasai woman is held responsible for a lot of things that happen to her family. If one’s daughter got pregnant before marriage, the mother bore the brunt of that and in most cases was a violent punishment. Despite domestic violence, a woman would rarely be granted divorce, and in the rare cases where one was granted, the woman could never remarry. 

Lack of self-ownership, financial capability and knowledge has made Maasai women lag behind in their development. This has a domino effect on the next generations and therefore urgently needs to be dealt with.

As Patinaai Osim, in collaboration with various NGOs and government organizations and Kajiado County government we have worked towards ensuring women rights and inequality violations are being addressed and women are provided for the information and safe space to express themselves and become change makers in the community.