CES Canada Advocates for Women's Rights

Child Marriage in East Africa: An Unacceptable Reality

Young women in East Africa face high levels of violence, discrimination and marginalization. Early marriage denies girls their rights to health, education, equality, non-discrimination and a life free of exploitation. In rural western Kenya, CES Canada continues to advocate for young women’s empowerment by providing equal opportunity for education. By encouraging girls to stay in school, CES demonstrates its commitment to influencing the community to stand against the practice of child marriage.

Students at Kakamega Muslim SS

Further to being a human rights violation, child marriage also undermines efforts to reduce poverty. There is a strong correlation between child marriage and girls dropping out of school. Girls are denied the education they need for their own personal and career development. There are also serious health implications. Medical complication during pregnancy is one of the leading causes of death and the mortality for newborns is 50% higher amongst this group. Although legislation specifically outlaws marriage under the age of 18 in Kenya, many marriages are performed under customary or Islamic law, which sets no minimum age. A high prevalence of HIV in Kenya means that young married girls are particularly at risk.

CES Canada has a Gender Equity policy where a minimum 50% of secondary scholarships are offered to girls. CES is also engaged in the betterment of education in six all girl secondary schools. CES provides a role model to schools that prioritizes young women.

Empowering girls is an area that CES Canada deems to be essential. During the past decade, CES female scholars have done well. Of the nearly 750 scholarships offered to girls, only 12 have dropped out. Of these, three were for pregnancies, two others were health related and one was a young girl whose family pressured her to marry before completing secondary school. The rest left school due to poor grades. On the bright side, female CES graduates are finding their place in post-secondary studies and there is every reason to believe they will be equal to or better than their male counterparts.

Post-script: GLOBALLY, THE PRACTICE IS DECLINING, ESPECIALLY MARRIAGE OF GIRLS UNDER 15: In 1985, 33% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18; in 2010 it was 26%. However, in real terms, the numbers are going up with increasing population – and will continue to do so without ACCELERATED progress. (RCS 2015)

CES Grad Eyewitness to the Tragedy at Garissa University

The loss of 147 beautiful young Kenyan university students was horrific. In the early hours of April 2 terrorists entered the gates of Garissa University undetected. A wave of evil swept through the dorms as many were preparing for a day of exams. Those who were gunned down had no chance, most were Christian. By 8am it was all over. The killers detonated their bomb belts taking their own lives.

CES Kenya graduate Milridah Ayuma Ominde was an eyewitness. She describes a morning of confusion and terror. By 5:30 am she was up preparing for the day. Finishing her toiletries she was about to begin her morning prayers and early morning studies. It was then she heard the shouting, the gunshots, people screaming, and she knew something terrible was happening. She grabbed her cell phone and ran.

"I ran down the stairs from the hostels/dorms to the field which is a distance away. The back of the university compound had not been fenced by wire and I managed to escape through the thorny bush fence. Beyond that was forest and desert. I ran and did not look back. After 15 minutes I found myself on a side street leading to Garissa Town. Other colleagues joined me as we found a bus leaving for Nairobi. As we got to the Tana River border patrol at the edge of town, the Somali bus driver demanded 500 extra shillings. He claimed it was danger pay because of the insecurity. Luckily for me a friend lent me the money and we continued the eight hour journey to Nairobi."

Milridah spent the next two days at Kenyatta Hospital comforting the injured students who had survived. It was her friend, CES graduate Doris Miroya who was able to track her down. Through Doris, CES Canada was assured that Milridah was safe. A few days later CES Kenya Director Rev. Nyanje met with Milridah and invited her to stay at his family home in Nairobi. CES Canada volunteer Karen Dahl had just arrived in Kenya. She and Milridah agreed to spend a few days of rest at the home of CES Sports Ambassador Gilbert Kiptoo.

Karen shares, "Gilbert and his gracious wife Sally made us welcome and provided much support and encouragement to Milridah during our stay at Ziwa. This provided the initial opportunity for Milridah to relax and get to know me. I knew the healing process has begun. Life on the farm provided the perfect healthy balance of quiet time for reflection, counselling and links with community activities. Gilbert introduced us at the private school of his brother, James Moiben, where we were given a tour of the facility. A visit to the Zurrie Flower Farm was a refreshing break and so stimulating to the senses. Gilbert and Sally invited us to attend the Passover Feast and service at their church and we had the opportunity to celebrate with them and their church community. It was an evening filled with fellowship, praises and joy.

Milridah also spent a few days at her grandmother's shamba. The home is located near to Ibinzo Girls HS and where Doris Miroya's family is from. She was greeted by her pastor and many friends who came to see her. It was a joyful celebration.

Prior to her returning to Canada April 30, Karen Dahl maintained daily contact with Milridah offering support, encouragement, and continued counselling. She helped Milridah deal with the impact of this event and to utilize some basic coping strategies. Due to the loss of close friends during the attack, Karen also encouraged her to remain connected with her other friends by phone and to consider attending the funerals of her colleagues who lost their lives at Garissa University.

Her closest friend Josephine Onyancha Nyaboke, age 21, was gunned down as she prayed in the Morning Glory chapel with other Christian students. Her other roommates Agnettah Chite and Lucy Nyambura were killed in their beds while sleeping. Milridah did travel to Butere with her friend Florence to join other mourners at the funeral service for Agnettah. She shared that it was sad but that she felt Agnettah was at peace.

Overall, Milridah has been connected with her friends and family and is coping fairly well. She is the secretary for the youth programme at her church and continues her commitments to her church community. She is staying in the home of her step grandmother and assists with chores and planting vegetables. Milridah has met with CES Patron Malik Khaemba, Chairman Ben Odoto and other board members to provide her account of the Garissa attack.

She has been made aware of the efforts made of the CES family to raise funds to assist her. During the CES Leadership Scholarship Interviews this past week, Milridah participated by greeting the candidates and assisting with the ushering of the participants to the interviews. She also addressed the group during the workshops, providing the new graduates with a role model exemplifying strength and courage through the most tragic of events.

Milridah at the CES Leadership Seminar

Other supports include CES Kenya board member Aziza Rajab. Aziza encouraged Milridah to remain active, continue with her church involvement and volunteer work at the school. In addition, Aziza followed up with a call Karen had made to the Kenya Red Cross inquiring about the counselling services for the Garissa students. Aziza has confirmed that Milridah was on the list for counselling and that a plan was in place to respond to her needs.

 CES Patron Malik Khaemba, Karen Dahl, CES Director Aziza Rajab

On Monday April 27th Milridah attended her first counselling session provided by the Red Cross at Kakamega. The students met together and then were divided into small groups with a counsellor facilitating each group. According to Milridah the session was successful. “We were allowed to talk everything about the attack and air out all views”, she said afterwards. It was also confirmed that she is to report to Moi University Eldoret on May 20th. Counselling will continue at the Golf Hotel twice per week up until the 18th of May.

At this point Milridah has expressed her willingness to apply to attend the Moi University campus to complete her second year of the BA in Education. She has a desire to remain close to home and near her former Ibinzo colleague Doris Miroya who is also willing to provide guidance and support. Milridah will benefit from continued follow-up from CES Kenya for encouragement, problem solving, emotional support, educational guidance and financial assistance to ensure a smooth transition into university life.

Milridah is a soft spoken young woman with incredible strength and courage. Her faith in the Lord is unwavering and her determination to complete her education for the betterment of her younger siblings is powerful. Milridah now 22, is a CES graduate from Ibinzo Girls HS. Achieving above average in the 2012 KCSE, she was invited to register at Garissa University. Her dream is to teach and at present she is in Year 2 of the B.Ed. English Literature course of studies.

She is one of 6 children. Her parents divorced when she was very young and she has never seen or heard from her mother since. Her father and step-mother raised her on the meagre products from the farm. School fees were managed, until her father became ill and died. At that time, she was in Form 3. Her father's death was distressing as she now was a total orphan. This impacted her ability to perform her best in school. Her focus was further disrupted when her step mother sold the family land and the shamba in which Milridah and her siblings had grown up. Her step mother went with another man and Milridah was left to support herself and two younger siblings. It was at that time that she was assisted by CES Canada with a full scholarship to complete her secondary education. She is concerned for her 2 younger siblings Melvine Achimbo in Standard 8 and Brancice Aylela, Standard 4. They are both living in separate homes with different relatives. Her father had instilled in Milridah that obtaining an education could improve her life so that she could help her siblings. He told her that he would not always be around.

Milridah is an exceptional young woman, an inspiration to us all. Despite her own situation of fear and uncertainty, she was ministering to and thinking of others. She writes, "I was lucky and I thank God He helped me to escape; however, I lost many friends and three room mates which is very sad for me. I thank CES because they have stood by me and encouraged me. I feel loved and cared for and I will be very happy if you (CES) continue to stand with me so that I can finish my education.

CES Canada and CES Kenya and the entire CES family will do just that. When one suffers we all do, at least in part. It's the least we can do.

Karen Dahl

CES Canada Associate