Kilgoris (AP) of Kenya – “I’m worth defending!” A group of girls as each takes a combat stance.
They are trying to put into practice combat skills. No, they are not part of the martial arts club. They are Masai girls who live in a Western transmara boarding school Kenyadoubled as a rescue center for teens who escaped early marriage, Female genital mutilation.
“We learn how to protect ourselves, how to protect our bodies,” said 14-year-old Grace Mscheni, who has lived and studied at the Encakenia Centre For Excellence since 2023.
The center was founded in 2009 by Kakenian Tire, a Maasai woman who suffered a genital mutilation. It doesn’t just provide a safe haven for girls at risk of early marriage. It also offers a free high school education as an incentive for parents to allow their daughters to stay at school rather than stay at school. Cutting the ceremony This remains common among Maasai girls between the ages of 8 and 17.
After the girl is circumcised, she is considered an adult, meaning she is at maturity.
“Most children’s marriages are caused by family poverty,” explains Msheni. “Because of this poverty, parents can get that their daughter can be allowed to marry by the elderly.
Ntaiya was unable to escape genital mutilation, but she persuaded her father to allow her to continue her education and is now earning a PhD. Educated at the University of Pittsburgh, she received multiple awards for her work.
“I was a beneficiary of proper education and wanted to show the community how important it is to empower women and girls,” she says.
Kenya’s law prohibits genital mutilation and marriage under the age of 18, but both are still practiced, especially in rural areas where education levels remain low. The government’s 2022 Kenya Demography and Health Survey found that 56.3% of uneducated women had undergone genital mutilation, compared to 5.9% of women who studied in previous middle schools.
Girls’ education clearly affects Gender-based violence Also, 34% of Kenya women surveyed saying they were victims of physical violence.
But it’s still surprisingly expensive. In addition to providing education, the Enkakenya Center is worth defending to teach militant self-defense skills. Not enough to allow them to physically fight potential abusers – they can, but it teaches that they are assertive in all areas of their lives.
“We train them with basic principles of assertion and boundary setting, including verbal and physical techniques,” says Amelia Auer. “These skills instill confidence in opposition to violations and combat physical threats.”
This training gave 14-year-old Rahab Lepishoi the power to speak up for other girls. During her recent visit to her sister, she learns that the girls in the village, including her old friends, are about to be circumcised. “I told her The dangers of FGM And to come with me to avoid (it) to avoid it,” says Lepishoi.
She follows in the footsteps of educators. Educators visit remote areas of Transmara each year to raise awareness about the importance of genital mutilation, early marriage and education. “Now when I go to that place, I apply that assertion and confidence skills. I will educate my friends and when they meet the boys they will confidently say what they mean,” says Lepishoi.
Self-defense classes also provide some protection against sexual abuse, which will catch many people in violent marriages. “When a girl reports that her parents have been abused, it is common for her to have her marry the man who abused her,” Mucheni said.
Purity Lisanoi, 15, has been in school for five years. Her mother is a widow and raised her five children alone, but cultural pressure from her community remains. “My family is still very traditional,” she says. “When a girl grows up, she is expected to get married and she can’t choose who she will marry.”
Her solution? Continue studying. One day, she wants to become a lawyer.
Meanwhile, Mucheni dreams of a career as a software engineer. She wants to come back here and use technology to raise the community. “Girls can accomplish great things,” she says. “I want to encourage others to pursue their dreams.”
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