International Women’s Day- March 8th

Women are making great progress in so many areas throughout the world but progress can sometimes be painfully slow in the rural areas of Africa.

We have just finished our survey of the schools we support- the most positive gender ratio we have currently achieved in Primary Schools is 42% girls to 58% boys in Maasai areas, falling to 35% girls in the Samburu areas, with some classes as low as 13% girls. In order not to ‘lose’ this whole generation of girls we are currently conducting a house to house survey, with the help of very active Chiefs and Community Health Workers, to see how many children are still at home (both boys and girls) and to work with families on ways to help the parents to register their children. Sometimes something as simple as a uniform can be the difference between parents giving their child an education or not.

Imagine having your whole future hinging on a dress or a pair of shorts.

It goes without saying that education is a basic human right. We often have to remind ourselves here that this is the 21st century: just because kids here were born on the wrong side of the equatorial divide they still have equal rights. Girls have as much right to education as boys- but in educating girls the benefits for the future can be far, far larger. In the rural areas where FGM rates are still very high- 98% in the most remote communities, early marriage is inevitable. Since in the developing world 70,000 adolescents are killed by pregnancy the health risks involved in FGM are far reaching: keeping girls in school delays FGM and therefore delays marriage and saves lives: that simple. Babies born to adolescent Mum’s are 50% more likely to die in their first year. This is the 21st century. That figure is just not acceptable. Education saves lives.

In addition the effects on the economy and the environment are clear. Whilst there is enormous debate on the actual statistics, there is nevertheless an agreement that there is a clear correlation between the number of years a girl spends in school and her family size. Many studies agree that a 10% increase in female literacy leads to a decline of 0.5% total fertility; seven or more years in school leads to half the number of children; giving a girl no education she will bear 6.8 children, if she completes secondary this will fall to 3.2 children. Whatever figures you are reading the correlation remains. Moreover a mere one year in Primary school boosts the earning power of women with girls putting up to 90% of their earnings back into the family income compared to boys who will put back only 35%. Statistics are statistics and open to abuse, but the trend is clear.

An educated girl accesses health care not only for herself but also for her family. She is more likely to access pre and post natal care, to give birth in a health facility, to access family planning, to have a reduced risk of HIV AIDS both for herself and her family. She is less likely to be spending the 3 - 7 hours a day by an open fire exposing herself and her infant to smoke that is 100 times above accepted safety levels- the equivalent of smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day...... and so the list goes on.. and on...

Study after study has shown that educating girls is one of the most effective ways to fight poverty and social prejudice. An educated girl has more say in her home, family decisions are more democratic and domestic violence is reduced.

Despite all these benefits, 30 million more girls than boys are out of school in the world. Empowering women and achieving gender equality is a difficult and slow process that entails shifting attitudes, traditions and practices.

How can we afford NOT to educate women? If only as the most effective way of improving health care and reducing healthcare costs. If only to reduce population growth. If only to improve family incomes. If only to give the girls in the developing world some of the chances that our girls in the West have had for three generations.

Above: meet Rose and her daughter Selina...Rose, who was unable to finish her own Primary education, was the first woman in the locality to open a bank account saving for Selina's 'university' education, Rose was also the first woman to wear trousers - I have often thought that the best gender equality motivator in schools would be to offer the girls a chance to wear trousers. (Rose is also an excellent pancake tosser......)

Support girls education today in whatever way you can!!

Batting AIDs out of Kenya with Cricket Without Boundaries....

Huge thanks  to "Cricket Without Boundaries” .. what a great job they are doing with their cricket coaching in Kenya.  In two days with us they will have taught cricket to over 500 kids in four schools.. in addition to training up a batch of over 20 very keen Maasai men and women. 

The energy and enthusiasm and great organisational skills  of their team has meant that the riotous fun of Pancake Day that started the week at Kimanjo Primary has just  continued to the week -end.

In addition to learning  a new sport the schools have been expertly, and highly imaginatively , taught about HIV/AIDS infection... the first time any educators have come with boxers and knickers for all teachers and older students  (boys and girls) .. boldly entitled  ‘Spread the Word Not the Infection.....‘   The girls were so amused there were tears of laughter. The ABC message was very clearly and creatively made. So how on earth does ‘C  is for Condom’ transfer to a cricket game? Ooh yes ... Condom = Protection =  protect your wicket- Inspired teaching!

Kids here are so quick to learn any new sport being fit, well coordinated and highly enthusiastic that it wouldn’t take long to get them playing a match. Cricket also allows the girls much more equality over the ubiquitous football that tends to dominate the school ‘field’ every break time. The trainee  coaches have enjoyed their sessions so much and the coaching has been so good that I am sure we will be able to get  some cricket clubs into operation this year.

                Both students and teachers are being motivated by the wonderful success of the local Maasai Cricket Warriors at Il Polei- due in no small part to Aliya Bauer their dedicated South African coach and coordinator. These ‘Warriors’ are currently having fun in Mombasa on cricket tour, as a prelude to  a tour to S Africa for The Last Man Stands  tournament. The Maasai Cricket Warriors’ also promote health messages against FGM and HIV and act as role models for their community: their own AIDS Awareness slogan is  "A BALL is my SPEAR and a BAT is my SHIELD in the FIGHT against A I D S"

                Sport is such a wonderful way to break down cultural divides and to act as a learning tool for other messages, and there are many great sporting initiatives throughout Africa. But without doubt Cricket Without Boundaries deserves to have all the recognition it can get, not just from dedicated cricketers, for the work they are doing in East and Southern Africa in schools and orphanages opening up a new sport, giving bat-loads of fun,  and an excellent  AIDS awareness message. Another  “Good news Africa” story then? We seem to have many of those this year.  After all- it is the energy and enthusiasm in the face of extreme adversity,  and the sense of community-that is the main reason for us choosing to be mzungus in Kenya ... and good sportsmen everywhere know a good deal about these qualities. 

                On tour with Cricket Without Boundaries is plenty of hard work in some fairly basic conditions... but this team  are at least able to enjoy a little bit of luxury and a chance to recharge their batteries at The Sanctuary at Ol lentille for a couple of nights.  Richly deserved!

Fmeale genital mutilation-Towards an end to the Cloak and Dagger ?

The Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) education campaign progressed remarkably smoothly in Laikipia North this year, now in its third year the 28 established NHP Health Workers and their support team , led by NHP Nurse Rose, are now proving to be a self motivated and highly efficient team –Rose’s smile and calmness have maintained a positive effect on the whole community, deflecting the fiery exchanges seen in our first year.

The new Bill outlawing FGM, passed on September 7th, has helped this campaign dramatically. The Bill, proposed by Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi back in 2010, provides that a person convicted of carrying out FGM will face seven years in jail or a half million shilling fine; causing death via FGM can result in life imprisonment. Aiding and abetting FGM also carries heavy penalties. Three years ago it was difficult to get local politicians to support the campaign to, at the least, delay female circumcision, since they were not sure on which side votes lay; but the new law has made things clear for all. We have been fortunate that the local Chiefs have taken a very positive and forward thinking stand, ensuring that progress over the last three years has been fast. Traditionally, as soon as a girl has been circumcised she is pronounced ‘ready’ for marriage, leading to the end of her education. But in many cases the Chiefs have actively insisted that girls not be taken out of Primary school and have also assisted them in registering themselves in school, where local teachers have identified girls being kept at home.

Our campaign in Isiolo is in its first year, with a brand new team of highly enthusiastic Health Workers. Here many lessons have to be learned concerning logistics- particularly as we are currently drowning under a sea of mud, wiping out roads on a daily basis.And never underestimate the infinite time required for Kenyan politics ! No one can focus on education until the all important decisions of how many ‘lunch’ goats to be assigned to each village has been settled. Perhaps such precise allocation decisions have more priority in the Samburu community than in the Masai community where NHP was formerly based. We still have the biggest Baraza (meeting) tomorrow, and rains permitting, we will meet our last year total of over 2,000 attendees.

The team are promoting an alternative public ‘Blessing’ for the girls as their Coming of Age ceremony- rather than the Cloak and Dagger (..literally) ceremony that has been taking place behind closed doors for so many years. Since the average age for circumcision is puberty this has meant few girls accessing secondary education.

The health problems begin with the infections and heavy bleeding caused by the non-sterile and unprofessional operation, proceed via the hazards of early pregnancies, for girls who often have several more years of growing and are already poorly nourished ; through to large areas of scar tissue causing horrific and often life threatening tears and haemorrhaging during birth. In addition mothers will starve themselves during pregnancy, even when food is plentiful, in order to limit the size of their baby to limit the danger and pain of a healthy birth weight baby.

I cannot say that I am taken in by the argument given against the cut by many men and women, at every baraza that the lack of sexual satisfaction obtained by the women causes more female 'promiscuity' or as generally translated from the Maasai 'prostitution', but I guess I am not one to be able judge this question.

Whilst meetings can be highly charged, and to some it is still seen as a controversial and emotive topic; if each year another cohort of young girls is given the choice to delay the cut until after secondary schooling that has got be a good thing for Kenyan development.. and Kenyan politics.

Female Genital Mutilation -moving away from The Cut

This is a busy week for the NHP team at Lentille. Prior to the December circumcision season they are organising as many 'barazas' as they can cope with.

A Baraza is a big community meeting, under a tree, with Chiefs, Community Leaders, men, women and youth.. and much food to be consumed! The subject of discussion is alternatives to female circumcision.. last year over 2,000 people attended these meetings.. as we extend now into Isiolo District this number is expected to rise. This week 3 barazas will be organised in an attempt to keep girls in school in January- and prevent the medical horrors of The Cut which leads to so many child- birth problems. Traditionally, as soon as girls are circumcised they are taken out of school to be married -and childbirth quickly follows. Since the traditional age here for circumcision is puberty (13 years) the medical complications for these young girls giving birth when they are still growing rises further. Often the girls starve themselves during pregnancy in the hope of giving birth to a smaller baby... not a healthy state of affairs for mother or child.

However tradition is changing very fast and in the two years we have been running these barazas we have seen a huge sea-shift in the attitudes to girl-child education and a far greater understanding of the dangers of circumcision. Increasing numbers of girls are now being allowed to delay circumcision until completion of secondary school when they can themselves make an informed choice. Health care here is tied directly to education- with the buiding of the new classes at Kimanjo Secondary school parents and daughters can see a real economically viable alternative to marriage. By incorporating the new government secondary Principal, and the Primary head-teachers, into these barazas we try to join up the education/health-care work.

This year we are also trying to positively incorporate the female circumcisors into health care work by offering them incentives to become agents of referral in bringing pregnant Mums-to -be, to the clinic... so they no longer need the added revenue stream of conducting circumcisions. We look forward to following up this post on how lively these barazas are this week! Change will not come without contoversy for sure!