Why most Mandera girls still shy away from schooling

Most stories from Kenya’s northern frontier are always a variation of three stereotypical things: hunger, clashes or insecurity, and disease.

And women and girls from pastoralist communities, especially in Mandera County, face a bleak future living in abject poverty, unless laws are enacted to accelerate their ascent in education, leadership and economic wellbeing.

Part of this challenge has been worsened by male-dominated decision-making hierarchies in households, and academic and government institutions, as well as outdated traditions.

In Mandera, the thirst for education by girls remains a challenge. The county is dotted with quite a number of girls’ schools, but enrolment and performance are wanting.

A spot check by Nation.Africa revealed that girls and women spend days herding livestock and fetching water as boys attend school. Men handle other less tiring tasks.

Getting a girl to excel in national examinations is not easy as it takes a father’s commitment and determination to have daughters realise their academic potential and dream.

“I thank my parents, especially my father, for ensuring that all I needed for my studies was provided. He ensured that our retrogressive culture did not bar me from studying,” said Rahma Ibrein Ibrahim, the top county girl in the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination.

Ibrahim had a B plus of 68 points.

Barriers

Many hurdles still stand in the way of girls’ education, according to County Director of Education Abdi Roble. Mr Roble cited early marriage as the main hindrance.

“We have girls being married off at a young age of 13 years by parents who still don’t see the value of educating them. The cases are rampant in the rural areas,” he said.

Last month, chiefs in Mandera South rescued a Standard Eight girl from early marriage. The girl had scored 325 marks in the 2020 KCPE exam, but her parents preferred marrying her off to an old man.

Most parents marry off their girls early, fearing that post-pubertal girls left unmarried and allowed to go to school will end up getting pregnant out of wedlock.

Given the value placed on virginity in the Somali community, premarital pregnancy has implications for the acquisition of bride wealth where girls are valued primarily as commodities.

Residents say premarital pregnancies taint family image and depreciate girls’ ‘market’ value.

Some Mandera girls must work to help their families or even stay home to care for younger siblings.

Others simply don't have the money for education fees or school uniforms given the poverty levels in their families.

There is also a common belief in most Somali families that educating girls is a waste of resources because the knowledge and income gained from employment finally ends up helping their in-laws once they get married.

Marriage and motherhood

Girls are made to prepare for marriage and motherhood. This, therefore, discourages them from developing a creative mind and the initiative to work hard and compete to excel in school.

Mr Roble lists low entry points to secondary schools by girls, biting teacher shortage across the county and lack of role models as causes of poor academic performance.

“We don’t have role models locally coming up to boost the academic morale of these girls. What they see is fellow girls who drop out of schools to start families,” he said.

Moi Girls Mandera, the only national girls’ school in the county, had 181 candidates sit the 2020 KCSE exam. More than five girls failed to return to school after the long break due to Covid-19. It is believed they were married off.

The school was officially opened on January 20, 1986, by then-President Daniel Moi. In 2020, it had two B plains, one B minus, 12 C plus, 26 C plain, 38 C minus, 59 D plus, 35 D plain and 39 D minus.

Ashabito Girls in Mandera North only had seven candidates doing the same examination and the best scored a C minus, five managed D plus and one got D plain.

Mandera Dimtu Girls had 63 girls and two managed C minus, one D plus, nine D plain, 31 D minus and 18 E. 

Takaba Girls that produced the best girl in Mandera registered 100 candidates and two managed B plus, six B plain, 18 B minus, 21 C plus, 24 C plain, 16 C minus, seven D plus, three D plain and one D minus.

Other public girls’ schools in the county are Khadija, Khalalio, Aresa, Rhamu, Gololbiha, Arabia, Living Nomadic School and Banisa. New schools such as Lafey Girls, Buruburu and Komor have only forms one and two.

Kotulo Model Girls school that enjoyed the sponsorship of Barclays Bank, now Absa, when East Africa Cooperation CS Adan Mohamed headed the bank, is in a sorrowful state. Kotulo is the hometown of Mr Mohamed.

“That school has been poorly managed at the moment. There are no facilities for our girls like before,” Mr Roble said.

The school had 29 candidates and the best had a C minus. Seven girls managed D plus, 11 scored D plain, seven had D minus and three scored E.

Polygamy

Also blamed is polygamy under which older wives and their children are neglected and have to struggle to survive on their own, as most men only opt to pay fees for their sons, not daughters.

Mr Ali Hassan, a resident, says girls are disregarded and thus assist their mothers at home or look for part-time jobs to boost family income. He said the same has led to a negative perception of girls in secondary school.

“Our girls have come to believe education lacks value and therefore do not strive to work hard in their academic work. They see boys as the ones to benefit as those girls who perform well are always viewed negatively. They are seen as aggressive like men and most of them end up being not married later in life,” he said.

Most female teachers who would act as their role models are not from the local communities and Islamic beliefs do not allow girls to interact freely with any person of a different faith.

Mr Roble admitted that management of girls’ schools by male teachers was not helping matters.

“We need to have female teachers filling up the gap in the girls’ schools, but we cannot find any in the county to play that role,” he said.

Ms Amina Wako, the only female principal, heading Moi Girls, is from Marsabit County and had to battle against resistance before she settled at the school in 2019.

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