It is termed as ‘not ok’ OR ‘not alright’ for a female to stand in front of elders or men in our samburu community or the maa community in general. In the past, this was never allowed and to date, we still have some remote parts of our community where this still happens.
As we celebrate this years’ International Women Day, the theme is “CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE”. We choose to challenge and break this believe in our society. Women are born leaders and can give great opinions. They therefore deserve spaces at the decision making arenas in our society. With our elders in Isiolo North and Laikipia North, we convened a sitting between school girls and their paternal parents. The meeting is meant to start up a connection between father and daughter and grow a mutual relationship where a girl can easily approach her father for her needs and desires as she grows up. This will also help these young girls address their rights directly to their fathers and will help them pursue their education dreams without negative cultural interference. Thanks to Petalés Research and Management Solutions for the Dream Girls Project, this has come in handy with the changing times, we have to move with the world and adopt the positivity to our culture.
We are glad that Petalés Research and Management Solutions believed in us and gave us an opportunity to help our community challenge this norms through the Dream Girls Project. Thank you our fathers in Parkuruk, Rap and Tuale all in Isiolo North sub county and Kurum, Kiwanja Ndege, Soit Oudo and Saramba all in Laikipia North sub county for accepting to “CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE”. Together we progress for the better of our future generations.
