Kakenya Ntaiya grew up in Kenya and dreamed of becoming a teacher.
But when
she was five years old, she was already engaged to be married. In the Maasai
culture, girls get married in their teens. Education for girls is not a priority. For those girls lucky
enough to finish primary education, only a few make it to
secondary school. Parents tend to spend what little money they have on
educating
boys rather than girls, whom are expect to marry and leave the family.
According to Maasai culture, girls marry at the time of adolescence,
which is when most girls finish primary school (age 13).
But when
she was five years old, she was already engaged to be married. In the Maasai
culture, girls get married in their teens. Education for girls is not a priority. For those girls lucky
enough to finish primary education, only a few make it to
secondary school. Parents tend to spend what little money they have on
educating
boys rather than girls, whom are expect to marry and leave the family.
According to Maasai culture, girls marry at the time of adolescence,
which is when most girls finish primary school (age 13).
But what Kakenya really wanted was to be a teacher. She went to
her father and negotiated with him. She agreed to go through her teen
initiation rites if her father would agree to let her finish high
school. He agreed.
Then she later talked the village elders into letting her leave her small Maasai village of Enoosaen in south Kenya to go to college in the United States. She promised to use her education to benefit her village and the entire village collected money to pay for her journey.
Kakenya worked hard and made her dream come true. Now she wants to help her students and her community grow through education.
Learn more on about Kakenya.
Then she later talked the village elders into letting her leave her small Maasai village of Enoosaen in south Kenya to go to college in the United States. She promised to use her education to benefit her village and the entire village collected money to pay for her journey.
Kakenya worked hard and made her dream come true. Now she wants to help her students and her community grow through education.
Learn more on about Kakenya.
That's awesome, that she is helping these kids......this is gonna be an awesome blog:).