School Holiday
Out of the 40 children sponsored by the Organization 39 spent the 2014 Christmas holidays at their respective homes.
One of the girls spent the holidays with one of the member’s home as the organization continues to feel that the situation in the home is unchanged. The pride price paid to the child’s family has not been returned and therefore the child remains in danger of being abducted by the ‘husband’. It is the government’s policy that all children should keep in close contact with their families when possible.
All children reported back to school on time and reported to have had happy holidays. Many of the parents were able to buy toiletries for their children as encouraged by the organization.
Seven (7) children spent the April 2015 at the NEC Safe House. This was necessitated by the severe drought in most parts of the Kajiado County and partly by the unsafe home environment. The children are provided with a home environment and are looked after by en experienced matron and the NEC members. A Social Worker connected to the Children’s Office visited the home periodically.
Schools
Three of the four (4) girls who sat for the Primary Certificate Examination got good grades that took them to secondary school. The three (3) girls were able to be placed in schools where other NEC girls attend. The 4th girl got low grades and the Organization is looking to have her in a vocational school after recovery from a planned corrective surgery.
The NEC is sponsoring ten (10) Secondary School girls in 6 different schools.
Twenty (20) Primary School girls attend 5 different schools and 3 boys attend a boys boarding school.
One (1) little girl is in Nyumbani Children’s Home and goes to school there until she is well enough to be able to attend a public.
Medical Care
One (1) of the girls who sat for the primary school examination, unfortunately did not make it to secondary school. The girl has challenges of physical disability and is due for corrective surgery. The Organization in partnership with the Kajiado Centre for children with Disabilities is organizing to have the girl operated on as soon as possible. The surgical cost will be shared by the two Organizations. The single parent has no ability to contribute to the child’s treatment.
The 9 year old HIV/AIDs survivor is under medication and her situation requires constant specialized medical care. Little Nempiris ( who is HIV/AIDs survivor ) continues to reside at Nyumbani Children’s home and is getting excellent medical care. She has recently completed the tuberculosis treatment. She regularly attends school when her condition allows.
The NEC members follow Nempiris’ progress by regularly visiting her at the home. Her grandmother has paid her two visits in one year.
Counseling / Seminar
Two (2) counseling sessions were carried out at the AIC primary school where the majority of the Primary School girls attend. This was carried out towards the end of the school term.
A seminar was held for secondary and primary school girls during the school holidays.
The objective of these sessions is to raise self awareness, self esteem, and personal hygiene, motivate and encourage them to make informed choices.
Challenges
Unfortunately three girls have discontinued their education. One of the girls, 18 years old who has had learning challenges decided to permanently discontinue with her schooling.
The 2 girls are pregnant and have been suspended from school until after delivery. The children’s office is trying to find a vacancy in a mother /child home. Such a home would look after the baby while the mothers continue with their education.
Two Secondary School girls Visit Denmark
The two girls were invited to meet their contemporaries in Copenhagen and the suburbs to raise awareness on the Maasai school girl’s life in a boarding school. The girls visited a High School and interacted with three (3) different classes and other students during lunch and breaks. They met in all about 80-90 students. There was mutual interest shown by both parties in each other’s culture and school.
They visited an art college and interacted with ca.50 students. These students showed great interest in a life of a Maasai girl therefore asked many questions.
They visited the Queen’s Palace, museums, the aquarium and several other cultural sites.
Of great interest to the girls were the visits to member’s homes where they interacted with their Danish families.
There were two organized meetings with an audience of 50 people each. They participated in a flea market which is one of the ways the Support Group in Denmark raises funds for the NEC sponsorship.
The trip was funded by an agent of DANIDA. The girls were accompanied by the Chairlady of the NEC.
The girls were overwhelmed by the difference in the two countries, schools and by the many experiences .
Future Activities
The NEC members plan to involve Community Leaders, Local Administrators, The Children’s Office and Legal Agents in holding 6 seminars in 6 different communities to raise awareness on the child’s rights, human rights, consequences of FGM and teenage marriages and pregnancy.
Silole Mpoke
DECEMBER 2014
This is to thank all the donors, sponsors, friends and partners for supporting and educating 39 girls and 3 boys in the 2014, including their school shopping (toiletry, sanitary towels, books etc.) and accommodation during schools’ holidays for those who cannot always go home due to poverty at home or due to hostile circumstances in the child’s home.
Twenty four (24) of these children are in primary school spread out in 4 different schools. Eleven (11) are in 6 different secondary schools and 2 are in two different children’s homes.
Little Nempiris who was admitted to Nyumbani , a home for HIV and AIDs victims who have little or no support from elsewhere is doing very well. At the age of 8 years when we got her she weighed 10 kg and six months later she now weighs 16 kg.
The last two (2) terms have gone without any problems, the children are happy in school.
Nine (9) children stayed at the holiday home during the August holiday. They had a good time. The holiday ‘home’ has proved to be a big success. The children are happy and so are the Nenkashe members as they know that the children are in good hands.
Counseling of the girls during the school term has been carried out. The organization hopes that these sessions will help the children be aware of who they are, help them make informed choices and give them self esteem.
Reconciliatory visits have been carried out in four (4) different homes during this month of December. One of the homes was visited for the 1st time to find out about the family situation of a girl that had been abandoned at the AIC school for four (4) years. The A.I.C. school approached the NEC organization to ask whether we could take on the girl as she had been brought to the school rescued from FGM. No one had visited her or gotten in touch with the school since! Since the school knew where the child had come from, Nenkashe found the child’s family and visited them.
The girl, Nasieku is 15 years old. She has a mother who is blind and is poverty stricken. She has an older brother who is in secondary school. They have a stepbrother who is employed and has been paying school fees for the brother. The stepbrother assured us that he will take on the responsibility of Nasieku and that she will be staying with his family. He has a wife and four children under the age of 7 years. Nasieku informed us that she is happy there. The mother lives within a half hour’s walk. Nasieku is one of the girls selected to visit Denmark in April.
Reconciliatory visits to the parents have failed to produce positive results in the case of the 9 year old that underwent FGM and married off to a 35 year old man two (2) years ago. The parents albeit friendly when called fail to show interest in their daughter.
The child is happy in school, catching up with school work and has friends in school.
We congratulate the Nenkashe Support Group in Denmark for their remarkable achievement of getting funds from CISU to have two girls visit Denmark to talk about the plight of a Maasai girl. Two girls have been selected and are in the process of applying for travel documents.
The new constitution of Kenya specifically forbids and criminalizes FGM and early marriages. The Kajiado County is proactive in raising awareness about the consequences of these harmful practices. The government has established an independent board called “The Anti FGM Board”. There is therefore good political will in the country to end these harmful practices against the girl child.
NEC will strive to alleys with the government for support in allocating bursaries to the NEC supported girls.
All of the above will not have been possible without your moral support and through the funds raised to pay school fees, uniforms, medical expenses, counseling and reconciliatory family visits and not least holidays home expenses.
The Nenkashe Organization thanks each one of you for your support throughout 2015.
We are looking forward to a continued partnership in the year 2015.
Happy Holidays to you and your family and a Happy New Year
On behalf of the NEC,
Silole