By Beverly Gilbert Stone | Director
Education is the best weapon to ensure Human Rights for the Pastoralist Girl Child. In pastoralist tribes education has not been valued especially for girls, as they will soon belong to their husband’s family. Education has always cost money and for families living in deep poverty, school fees are not high on the list. Therefore the girl child is the least likely to be sent to school. BUT in most cases if the girl child’s school fees are sponsored, they will allow her to attend school. It is there that the child learns she has rights and what they are. The longer she is sponsored in school, the more likely she is to learn and understand the value of education and her right to complete her education and in that way resist EFM and FGM. She will then teach these rights to her own children. Meanwhile education for the adults in the community teaches that these practices are now illegal and also provides education concerning the value to the family of educating the girl child and holding marriage until education is complete.
This young girl’s story is not uncommon. She walked a great distance to seek admission at Gordon Clem Academy; Aremiet mixed Secondary School. Often the girls have no funds but want to attend school. We were unable to raise funds for her education but she was allowed to attend school and share the food in the small dormitory with the others. She is very grateful as her only other option for her daily bread is to allow her father to marry her to someone she doesn’t know. We are still seeking funds to allow her and other girls in similar situations to stay and receive an education.
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