UN Day for Malala Yusufzia - November 10, 2012

This is Malala Yusufzia, a very courageous 15 year old Pakistan campaigner and peace activist whose only crime was to speak out against the destruction of girls schools in Pakistan and to advocate for the rights of girls and women to be educated. On October 9th while on a school bus Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman to silence her voice. Today Malala is recovering in a UK hospital and the world has become aware of the plight of women and girls around the world whose voices haven't been heard.

I know first hand about those girls and women in the developing world who do not have access to education. In many countries boys are the first to be educated in their families, yet it is girls turned women who really support their families financially. In Kenya primary education is provided by the government but secondary education is not. If your family has funds then as a girl (and even boys) you might be able to attend school, but if your family runs out of money in second term, you stay home until funds can be acquired. This means that education is not consistent or that you may never go to secondary school. Then a girl might be relegated to a life working as a housegirl and perhaps even getting pregnant and having to tend a family of their own, even though they might still be a teenager. The propsects are not bright for these girls.

When I was in Wongonyi Village, Kenya this June I met with the members of our Sere Girls Club and they told me of their daily challenges with regards to schooling. Even for these girls who are in school, life is not easy as often it is a long walk to school (sometimes 1-2 hours each way) and then at night when they get home they have chores to do (get firewood, make the evening meals, clean the utensils, feed the livestock and perhaps put younger siblings to bed) before they can get to their own homework studies.

To this end we support education scholarships that keep girls in school so they can have the prospect of a brighter future and we supply resources like IKEA solar desk lamps that we are giving to girls so they can study at night without having problems like eye strain and respiratory illness that results from using paraffin lamps. Here Emily and her brother receive an IKEA solar desk light that provides 4-5 hours of light at night.












Abigail, an alibino girl is considered by her uncle with whom she lives to be cursed and he refuses to pay for her secondary school fees. Thanks to caring donors in Muskoka Abigail is able to attend Allan Mjomba Secondary School and pursue her dreams.




We urge you to think about Malala and all the girls and women of the world who are being denied and education or have challenges in accessing educational resources. Here in the West education is considered a right for all and so it should be around the world. We all have the right to an education so girls and women are not kept in positions of oppression but instead can be the best they can be - the bright new leaders of the world. Do what you can to support educational programs for girls!

And sign the petition currently being circulated to nominate Malala for the Nobel Peace Prize. Do not let her voice and the voice of millions of girls across the globe be silenced!

Girls Rule - International Day of the Girl

On October 11, 2012 the United Nations officially designated this day as the first annual UN International Day of the Girl. What a great event this is to highlight gender inequalities, focus on  how girls are discriminated throughout the world and highlight the ways girls are abused (verbally, sexually and physically) by their societies.

This day is special as it finally helps to educate people around the world on the importance that girls can have in their families, communities and the world. For girls it highlights the importance to them of knowing their rights as girls - like the right to food and clean safe drinking water, access to health care, the right to say NO to unwanted sexual advances and most importantly the right to quality education. It is a known fact that girls and women really do have the greatest impact on the improvement of their communities. And education truly is the only way girls can make the most of their life and have the greatest impact on moving their families and their communities from poverty to prosperity.

Things will not change overnight, opportunities for girls will develop slowly but if the world knows that girls are a valued part of society change can happen.

 

Members of Sere Girls Club collecting garbage along the roadside

 

 

Girls burning the collected garbage - keeping Wongonyi Village Clean

 

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Our own Sere Girls Club in Wongonyi Village, Kenya know the importance of being girls and the impact they can have on their community. To celebrate the ist annual UN International Day of the Girl, they held a Community Clean-up educating the local villagers on the importance of having a clean village and that everyone is responsibile for taking care of the planet. We applaud the girls of Sere Girls Club for this great initiative - you go girls!

Girl Power - Mentorship Program a Success!

In Kenya when girls reach high school age, school is no longer free. If one is to advance to high school her parents must pay not only her tuition fees but also purchase school uniforms, textbooks, and other supplies like pens, notebooks and math sets. Those whose parents cannot afford the fees are usually sent out to work to contribute to the family income. As a result girls do not envision a real future for themselves. They don't set goals as they know that those goals will probably not be achievable.

The Ronnie Fund is attempting to change those views for these promising young girls in Wongonyi Village. This past spring Serah Mucha Mdawida (Ronnie's wife) arranged for two women educators from Nairobi to travel to the village to facilitate a weekend mentoring workshop for students. On the Friday the women engaged 150 students from Wongonyi and neighbouring Mbolo village on self-esteem and visioning through fun and engaging activities.

The next day the women met with 20 girls from the Sere Girls Club and spent in-depth time on goal-setting, time management and the power of personal future planning. Many of the girls have never spent any time thinking of the future beyond the next day. The facilitators enlightened the girls on the need to think about their futures and educated the girls on the opportunities that exist by going to college and university. It is only through education that the girls and their families can lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty. Serah will be holding a follow-up workshop with the girls in the next month or two. As well Serah will be bringing a few girls to Nairobi to tour the universities and colleges and learn about opportunities outside the village.

The girls did find the visioning exercise challenging because they have not ever thought about life outside the village but it is hoped that this workshop will give the girls a new look on a brighter future.

Serah also plans on developing a mentorship program with successful young women in Kenya who can mentor the girls on a regular basis encouraging them to continue their studies both at high school, university or college and then into the business world. It is important that we empower these young women who are the leaders of today. An indication of the power of girls is our twinning project with Muskoka Scout troops and the Ikanga Scout troop in Kenya. Recently the girls unit of the Scouts placed third in the provincial Kenya Scouting competition. A great feat and we celebrate their hard work. Go Girls!