A local Organization in West Pokot County is supporting girl child education to curb early forced marriages, female genital mutilation and school dropout cases.
More than 70% of girls between the age of 10-21 years in remote areas of the County drop out of school when they reach class five and six after starting well and enrolling in schools because of retrogressive cultures.
Yangat Organization with funds from Church World Service (CMC) which is working in eight schools in the entire County has been on the frontline championing girl child education, taking children to school, encouraging girls to go for higher education and putting up infrastructure in schools.
The schools which have benefited from the program are Chepkaram, Ng’eng’echwo, Ngotut, Koturupuo, Kapsantei, Sirwo, Koreriach and Chepakuk.
Speaking while inspecting projects in the schools which have benefited from the program, Yang’at Organization Coordinator Mrs. Elizabeth Kukat said they aim to address and end the challenges facing the girl child in the area by building dormitories and classrooms which act as rescue centers for girls who ran away from the repugnant cultural practices.
Kukat said that the program has improved enrollment, retention rate and transition rate because of the improved infrastructure, security and provision of hand washing equipment.
She said that the vices have reduced after many girls have joined schools and the percentage of FGM has reduced by 70% due to efforts by organization.
Kukat said the area is still lagging behind in education reach because of a lack of sufficient learning facilities. She urged parents in the area to take girls to boarding schools to keep them safe from FGM and early marriage cases.
She called on the government and nongovernmental organizations to support education by putting infrastructure in schools and paying school fees in order to keep girls in school.
She also cited that girls have been targeted by men who either seduce, rape and impregnate them causing them much stress and subsequent drop in performance at schools and observed that the facility will help protect the vulnerable girls. “Pokots still don’t value girl’s education and many are used to looking for firewood and fetching water,” said Mrs. Kukat.
Mr. Samuel Pieka a head teacher at Ng’eng’echo Primary school said they have benefited from the digital learning project under the ICT program, where pupils and teachers have acquired computer skills and enhanced teaching methodology, thus data submission is easy. “We have been supported with a bee keeping project, with 68 bee hives,” added Pieka.