The Right to Education in Samburu Communities

Changing the face of Kenya, pulling political and social development up to join the growing economy, means getting more women into positions of power: and that means getting more girls educated. 

Our 2012 task force census of children shows us that, in the areas of Isiolo surveyed, 56% girls are not in school (compared to 40% boys ). However, assuming these areas match the national ratio of girls to boys there is a cohort of ‘missing’ girls who are not identified on the census, not found by our task force. If these girls were included, assuming a 50:50 girl to boy ratio in the community, then actually only 36% girls are registered in school. This theory is easily borne out by the many classrooms in these areas with only one or two, and occasionally zero, girls registered. 

The main reason for the ‘missing’ girls is that they have been ‘beaded’ and married away. Beading in the traditional Samburu community takes place at around nine years of age. Beaded girls are awaiting their formal circumcision (illegal but 99% prevalence) and marriage which will take place at around 12- 13 years. In the meantime they cannot attend school, since they are now the property of the moran (warrior) who may come and visit at any time;  those betrothed to older men may be taken to his manyatta in a distant village to assist in looking after animals and housework; hence they will not be picked up by the task force. If a girl becomes pregnant before circumcision she will be assisted to abort, or the moran will leave her without paying the dowry. Should she be unfortunate enough to give birth to a live baby before her formal marriage it is unlikely that the family will ‘allow’ the baby to survive.

School dance festival: these girls are the lucky ones; only beaded for the days festivities!

Whilst it is illegal not to have your child in Primary school in Kenya, the issue has to be handled judiciously : parents of beaded girls are frightened to take off the beads, as are the girls themselves, for the morans have ‘rights’ over the girl even before the marriage dowry is paid. A few unhappy morans with spears, pangas, bows and arrows and large muscles can be dangerous to deal with both for the families and for the headteachers in remote areas where there is no police presence and roads are almost non-existent.  

Watching these small girls herding goats we are in danger of looking at another lost generation. Whilst they help to make up the most beautiful and redolent of ‘African’ landscapes (and how many of these little ‘girls’ have entertained tourists in tourist manyattas?) None of us privileged enough to have received even minimal education would give our own nine year old daughters into the hands of a ‘husband’- What was ‘custom’ in 1912 is not Kenyan custom in 2012 and needs to be dealt with now- not in five years time when this generation has missed their chance. This would not mean loss of cultural identity, merely realignment of community ideals in line with basic child and human rights.

It is heartening to see the Chiefs, police-force and head-teachers working with us on a positive approach to getting the beads off and the girls into school. One of the first steps is to make sure that where families are most reluctant the girls can be well looked after in secure boarding facilities with a female teacher on site, evening meals and a nurturing environment encouraging the value of education. A new uniform certainly makes the transition from a beaded girl to school-girl a more positive change for the whole family, but the most important part of the process is to bring educators together with other female role models to show the families the positive benefits of education; after all every mother (and father) loves their daughter and ultimately wants the best for her.

New Girls Boarding Facility Beginning Construction