Kakenya and her girls at her Girls AcademyPhoto by Kate Cummings
Kakenya's girls and their school bags 
Sometimes all that a little girl needs is a bit of attention:)
It took a while for the girs to receive their uniforms which in Kenya officially means among their peers that "they are representing" for their schoolPhoto by Kate Cummings
La petite a gauche fait son malin deee , lolGood morning guys:)
Hope everyone is doing great, and ready to take on this day, be productive & hopeful:)
Let's go!
Kakenya Ntaiya ..Kakenya , just another extraordinary woman!
She is of the Masai tribe and belongs to the Enoosaen village, she grew up in a lovely family of 8 children. At the age of 5 years old, when some of us were playing with our dolls,she was engased set to be married at the age of 13.
While some of us were being spoiled rotten little girls, she was helping her mother in the farm, learning already how to be responsible.
While attending primary school she saw a glimpse of what hapipness could be like through her teachers; the way they were dressed, their knowledge..this was it! She wanted to become a teacher !
Her mother years ago wasn't so lucky, she dropped out of school to be a full time mother and wife, she sometimes suffered through the violent hands of her husband but always encouraged her children to be all that they could be.
Don't be fooled by the calm nature of Kakenya, behind her sweet smile, is wood determination, & strength. In order to pursue her studies,she knew that in her tribe she neeeded to receive the approval of the men . There's a tradition within her community that says that if someone come ask you for anything very early in the morning before the sunrise you have to agree and say yes. This is how she received the approval of every male member of her tribe and upon receiving an American scholarship, she was on her way to America with some financial donation from her village.
In America, she applied herself academically and is today pursuing a PHD in International education. I've noticed that education and women empowerement are 2 big things in Kenya, this is not the first time on this blog that I talk about individuals and ONG's efforts to resolve those social issues within the Kenyan society..that's awesome:)
Kakenya has built in her village the Kakenya Excellence center, a school academy for girls to encourage them and empower them so that they will become leaders themselves one day.
She's working closely with the teachers, the 63 students, the parents and the local government and sponsors that are helping her with this project. Her goal after finishing her studies, would be to return to her lovely village and help out as much as she can her girls.The girl academy teaches girls traditional subjects such as math, geography, english, swahili,but what impressed me the most is that they are adding health classes to teach these young girls about their bodies, their menstrual cycles,their sexuality . They are also taught not to forget their culture and summer leadership workshops are also set to take place in 2011..
Way to go Kakenya:)
Here's their official webbie:
Great interview, HERE
You can also make some donations, HERE
Djaa my Kenyan sistas sont dedans:)
Eyeee Wayeee:)
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