If you know me or are getting to know me, you will find out that I am extremely passionate about girl child issues in Africa, particularly the education of the girl child. I have been doing a lot of work with a girls' secondary school in Kwale County recently, and it has been an amazing experience. I have heard so many stories that I will share in another post, but it is amazing what girl children face on a daily basis in and around their homes, and their communitites. True African Original is committed to advocating for the fundamental right to education for the girl child and continues to work for the advancement of her educational welfare, because according to the Global Campaign for Education:
- HIV/AIDS infection rates are doubled among young people who do not finish primary school. If every girl and boy received a complete primary education, at least 7 million new cases of HIV could be prevented in a decade.
- Education is a key economic asset for individuals and for nations. Every year of schooling lost represents a 10 to 20 per cent reduction in girls’ future incomes. Countries could raise per capita economic growth by about 0.3% percentage points per year – or 3 percentage points in the next decade - if they simply attained parity in girls’ and boys’ enrollments.
- Failure to educate girls and women perpetuates needless hunger. Gains in women’s education contributed most to reducing malnutrition between 1970-1995, playing a more important role than increased food availability.
- Women with education are better able to successfully resist debilitating practices such as female genital cutting, early marriage and domestic abuse by male partners.
I spent one day last weekend at the Rondwe Girls' School, and conducted a self esteem workshop for the girls who are mostly 15, with the exception of two 13 year olds. We talked about the portrayal of women in the media, body image, self confidence and self worth, and overall the girls seemed to have a general feeling of self worth.
I shot this very amateur video of the girls performing the poem "On Bended Knees" written by Shaban Mwero, that highlights the challenges many of them have faced. I was very moved when I first heard them perform it and thought it was important to share it. The girls are on full scholarships offered by the school, which runs on donations from well wishers.
ON BENDED KNEES
In miasma of indignity
Toiling……
Coiling….
And
boiling
In
turmoil’s of infirmity
Inferno
of infinity
On
bended knees
Twitching
Itching knees
Begging
but just for a smile
Us
to make move one more mile Angles we do
Won’t
you smile too?!
Days
are painted but black
Life
bleak and black
For
the key when we complain
In
a manner so plain
Thrashing
crashing trash they do explain
“Father,
I want to go to school!”
“Are
you a fool?”
“That’s
why I want to go to school
The
master key to search!”
“I
have no cash for such”
“But
primary education is for free!
I
want to attain a degree”
“No
school! That’s my decree!’’
“The
key is for Wanjau and Kamau
It’s
not for Wangoi nor Wamboi!”
Why
deny us the key
That
would set us free
Why
girls and not boys
We
are human beings…… not toys!
On
bended knees
For
education must we beg?
In
villages is severe drought
Beautiful
flowers are wrought
Pretty
precious petals made but nought
Ruthlessly….
Angles we are dragged
Roughly
dragged but to plantations
With
ferocious blades confrontations
Mindlessly….
Pretty precious petals they unmould
Harshly….
Unending pains then unfold
For
mercy we cry
Till
tears run but so dry
“Isn’t
circumcision for women?
A
sign of bad omen!”
“We
are not in bomas to discuss tradition
This
is an irreviewable constitution!”
“But
the pain we gain
Now
and again
Our
brains shall strain!
‘Eeehe!
We mould your mood
For
your own good! Aaa
On
bended Knees
For
change we cry!
In
furious hostile turmoil
Innocent
angles we boil
As
aspirations…. Parents foil
“Atieno….I’ve
got u a husband
A
handsome man to make your blueband!”
“But
daddy I don’t want a man”
Wololoyaaaye!
Nyarko! If you don’t want a man!
Then
get yourself a woman!
They
dump in disgust
They
dump us to rust
In
turmoil to last
On
bended knees
For
redemption we plead!
When
we visit the police station
In
pathetic situations
We
get no solutions
But heart breaking
confrontations
Officer….
Am….aaa…
Am….mo…mo…molested
“haiyayayayayaaaaya!Who
morested you
Why?
When? Where? How? What!”
Questions…..
questions….questions…
Questions
without a moral fibre
But
on bended knees
Humbly…..
we persist and insist
“Please
don’t resist to assist!”
Brigham Young once said, "You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation." Let us all strive to bring about the change that will ensure that the girl child takes up her rightful place in the classroom, because future generations depend on it.
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