{"id":208030,"date":"2020-09-15T11:15:56","date_gmt":"2020-09-15T16:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zoeempowers.org\/?p=208030"},"modified":"2023-09-13T15:24:03","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T20:24:03","slug":"shifting-gender-norms-education-rural-kenya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zoeempowers.org\/shifting-gender-norms-education-rural-kenya\/","title":{"rendered":"Shifting gender norms through education in rural Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lidiah was born with a love for education. As a young girl, sitting inside a small, one-roomed classroom, learning new subjects and socializing with her peers was her favorite pastime, and it showed in the high marks she received from her teachers. She didn\u2019t know it then, but she was one of the lucky ones, one of the girls whose parents could afford the nominal school fee <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> wanted her to attend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the rural Kenyan village Lidiah\u2019s family resided in and throughout low-income countries around the world, <\/span>girls are regularly restricted<\/span><\/a> from receiving an education for multiple reasons. In a recent study conducted by UNICEF, results showed that nearly <\/span>one in three adolescent girls<\/span><\/a> from the poorest households have never been to school, and an estimated <\/span>25 percent<\/span><\/a> won\u2019t finish primary school.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some girls are banned from receiving an education because it is viewed as a waste of resources since she will eventually marry and take her knowledge to another family. Other girls simply don\u2019t have the option to attend because of the cost or <\/span>the burden of care<\/span><\/a> falls on them, especially if one or both parents have passed away.<\/span><\/p>\n

This became Lidah\u2019s reality when she unexpectedly lost both her parents before the age of 14. The situation forced her to drop out of school while she grieved and sought help. An aunt and uncle agreed to take her in. She was relieved until she learned her uncle\u2019s ulterior motive: He wanted to use Lidiah for his personal gain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Lidiah asked to return to school, he forbade it, stating her priority should be starting a family, like her aunt and other girls in the community. He took the plot of land left to Lidiah by her parents, then began making arrangements to marry her off to his friend\u2019s son in exchange for a few cows. An introductory meeting between Lidiah and her predetermined suitor was arranged.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wept the night he told me about the marriage,\u201d she said. \u201cI vowed that one day I would use my story to change the community norm.\u201d In her sorrow, Lidiah quickly devised a plan to flee to a friend\u2019s house. It was her friend who introduced Lidiah to Zoe Empowers Kenya.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lidiah was accepted into the empowerment program in January 2018. Within a few weeks, she started a small business selling tea and food on a roadside near a construction site. Three months later, she had saved enough money to return to school. Her teacher gladly allowed her to re-enroll since she had been one of the best students prior to the death of her parents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Lidiah<\/p>\n

Lidiah\u2019s determination and persistence to receive an education has not let up. She has managed to continue her studies while running her restaurant and participating in her Zoe empowerment group. Every morning, she wakes up very early to prepare batches of tea and chapati (flat bread) and carries it with her to school to sell to fellow students and teachers. After school, she sells the remainder of her goods in a roadside stand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Lidiah<\/p>\n

Her profits have allowed Lidiah to pay school fees and make improvements in other areas of her life, including enrolling in health insurance and initiating the repossession of the stolen land. Lidiah didn\u2019t know it was possible to get her land back until she received child rights training through Zoe Empowers. The area chief and council of elders are helping with the succession.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

99% of Zoe Empowers school-aged graduates in Kenya are enrolled in school*<\/strong><\/p>\n

After 18 months in the Zoe Empowers program, 100% of Kenyan group members report that they know their rights and can enforce them. 99% said they know how and where to seek help if they experience abuse.**<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although she doesn\u2019t resent her uncle, Lidiah uses his actions and beliefs as fuel for her achievements. \u201cHe is the reason I am working so hard,\u201d she admitted. \u201cI want to buy him some cows and goats to show him that he did not have to sell me off for livestock, but he was supposed to give me an education to reap more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout her empowerment journey, Lidiah has continued to live with her friend, whom she calls her \u201csupport system\u201d. She is grateful to have been welcomed into a safe, loving home that values education. Now that Lidiah is close to finishing secondary school (high school) and graduating from Zoe Empowers, she has her sights set on enrolling in nursing school in 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lidiah wants to be a role model for other girls who are facing similar challenges as she once did. She actively shares her story, encouraging them to get their education and helping in any way she can. \u201cThough the journey is tough and tedious, I believe I will finish it,\u201d she said. \u201cOne day I will change the story of the girl child in my community.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

380 million children living in extreme poverty are vulnerable like Lidiah was before Zoe Empowers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

$9 a month can change that.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A monthly gift of $9 over 3 years empowers one orphaned or vulnerable child out of poverty. How many children like Lidiah can you give lasting sustainable change?<\/p>\n

Learn More<\/span><\/a>\n

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*<\/strong>Education:\u00a0<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Longitudinal data: Surveys were given to 240 families in Kenya as they entered the program in January or July 2018, then again at their midpoint:<\/p>\n