By Caroline Katana
Various factors make it impossible for girls to get an education in our country, the poverty rate is alarming, and even though education is made free it still involves a substantial cost to send girls to school.
Families who are struggling to make ends meet fail to pay the education expenses of their children, in some areas students have to walk a long distance to reach their school, this is where the safety of the girls gets compromised so parents don’t see it fit to send them off so far.
Other than that social issues like child marriage and child labor also stop girls from getting an education, parents pull daughters out of school to marry them off at an early age, and girls indulge in child labor they do not get time to study.
One of the most important benefits of girls’ education is that the country’s future will be brighter and better, economy can grow faster if more and more women become financially strong thereby reducing poverty.
Furthermore, women who are educated can take proper care of their children and this will strengthen the future as fewer kids will die due to a lack of vaccination or a similar reason.
Many girls in Kwale county face challenges in developing their writing skills and teachers play a crucial role in improving the situation.
However, writing skills are important because they allow individuals to communicate effectively.
Writing skills are crucial for academic success and reading comprehension, good writing skills demonstrate one’s learning, intellect, and thinking abilities.
Kwale Education and Mentorship Action (KWEMA) project implemented by G for Girls Initiative (GGI) for the last 12 months, benefited 208 girls in five schools in Vanga ward, Lunga Lunga constituency. ,
“We implemented the KWEMA project here in Vanga to sensitize the community on the importance of education to their children, the project is in five schools Jego, Ngathini, Tsuini, Kiwegu, and Mwalewa, and students learn on matters of advocacy, menstrual hygiene, leadership, reading and writing every Saturday,” said G for Girls initiative director Priscah Mongera
She added that 125 teachers and 10 community champions were trained on child rights to make a good learning environment for children at schools and at home.
“The champions are alumni of these schools and they are spearheading the sensitization exercise in the targeted for they understand better the challenges undermining girl education, they are all graduates so they are role models to the young girls,” said Mongera
She added that through the community dialogues on child protection and safeguarding at least 7 SGBV perpetrators were arrested and arraigned in court.
“In 2023 we had 67 class eight candidates who attended our scholarship workshop program and 20 students got scholarships, 13 girls and 7 boys joined high school through other non-governmental organizations that we are in partnership with, and that translates to million 5 worth of investment for students,” said Mongera.
She said they are implementing a literacy program through a mobile library to create a good environment for reading to students in Vanga.
“We realized that girls lack confidence in classes due to poor reading skills, so will ensure the mobile library has short story books that will give them a chance to gain reading skills and I believe education levels among girls in Vanga will improve,” she added.
At the same time, she mentioned outdated cultures and traditions of not educating girls to be the main cause of early pregnancy and marriage, Kwale county stands at 17 percent of teenage pregnancy higher compared to the national level which is 15 percent.
Jego primary school teacher Sara Wainaina said there has been a positive behavior change among girls since the implementation of the KWEMA project by G for Girls in the school.
“We have noticed changes among our female students, girls have communication and interpersonal skills that give them room to tackle their issues unlike before, since GGI commenced their sessions of essay writing, we have seen positive responses, they wrote very nice essays about how education can transform girls once educated,” she said.
Kiwegu primary head teacher Mandi Mwachiru applauded GGI for the project that brought social changes in the community.
“We have witnessed behavior, health, and education change among girls and the community at large, before the state of my school was bad like every term girls would drop out of school as a result of early pregnancy or marriage but since GGI started their program in my school, I have retained all students,” said Mwachiru.
Doris Chizi, a junior secondary school student at Ngathini Primary School who became the winner on essay writing, affirmed to gain confidence through the KWEMA project.
“Before the project, I could not stand in front of an audience to speak but now I can confidently speak in front of a crowd, my academic performance has also improved, I used to perform poorly in mathematics for I could challenge my teacher with questions because of fear, but of now I can face my mathematics teacher and ask any question, and this has made me perform well,” she said.
Lungalunga sub-county education officer Gilbert Agwao confirmed a 65 percent drop in teenage pregnancy in the constituency since the implementation of the project by GGI.
