I won’t be principal for life, I'm mentoring a generation

She is kind, innovative, compassionate, respected, visionary and yet firm in her leadership style. That is the first impression you get of Rose Menjo, the principal of Nakuru Girls’ High School.

"Leadership is about the people you influence. Unless we think as a nation and know the meaning of leadership, we would be glorifying the wrong people," she offers.

"Teachers are great influencers. Thousands of students pass through their hands; you can't compare them to a CEO of a State corporation. Leadership is about role modelling."

Ms Menjo rose through the ranks from a class teacher to a principal of a national school. She is pushing for women leaders’ agenda with a lot of passion through something she is good at – teaching.

"I encourage girls to go for it and not fear competing with boys," she explains.

"My aim is to change the students’ thinking. I want them to see themselves as future women of substance and leaders. I will not be principal for life. I'm mentoring a generation," she says.

"I consider myself as a transformative leader. I aim to make a positive difference."

She epitomises the hard work, sacrifice and the ability to overcome adversity that is necessary to succeed in teaching and leadership roles.

 "I'm looking forward with a lot of optimism in future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders and Kenyans will have fantastic leadership as women have what it takes to be great leaders on all fronts," she adds.

Dreams to reality

Ms Menjo doesn't want to merely be an inspiration for other women and girls, she wants to bring them into the fold and help their dreams become a reality

"Society has always placed boundaries and hurdles on women. But these boundaries and hurdles are man-made and we are determined to clear and cross them."

Ms Menjo is a woman of firsts.

"I'm the sixth born in a family of 10 children. I'm the only one who went to university. I refused to be put in a cocoon of girls. I wanted to operate as an independent individual and not a girl."

She says her upbringing in Nandi County was not a walk in the park.

"My elder sisters were married off after Class Seven. I worked hard and I was admitted to Kapsabet Girls’ High School. That's how I made it."

She recalls that while in Form Three, she visited her elder sister and found her being beaten by her husband one morning.

"I vowed I would not allow anyone to reduce me to a punching bag. I knew as a woman, I was as good as a man."

She recalls some of the cultural discrimination that girls face.

"After passing Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) my late father Mr Kiprono Sang’ said he would only pay fees for my brother. My late mum Ms Monica Chebor, however, insisted I must proceed to secondary school," she says.

Without electricity

"My father didn't buy me socks and a towel. I bought the socks after saving pocket money. I used one pair of shoes from Form One to Form Six. I scored Division One and joined Kapsabet Girls’ High School for my ‘A’ levels. I got three Principals in Kiswahili, CRE and History and a subsidiary."

Ms Menjo also recalls how she grew up in a home without electricity.

"I shared a room with the goats. The goat would make a lot of noise. I slept on the animal skin and used paraffin lamp to reads" she says.

"I remember while in Form Six the paraffin got finished. I lit the fire so that I could read. Reading was hard because of smoke. That is how desperate I wanted to pass my exams."

"At Kapsabet Girls, I used to wake up at 5am and by 6am milk the cows and earned Sh30 per term. I bought a face towel."

The mother of two – a son who is an accountant and daughter who is a lawyer – says she attributes her strong sense of leadership to her mother.

"I saw mum thatching a roof with grass, which was a man's duty. She influenced me that what a man can do a woman can do better. I don't believe in hand outs. I believe in hard work."

Her advice to girls: "Don't settle for less, go for equal, go for more."

She has become more than inspiration to the girls, teaching and non-teaching staff since she reported to the school on January 8, 2019, from Alliance Girls’ High School.

As the third principal of the school, she hasn’t disappointed.

She produced nine As in KCSE after the school missed the grade in 2017 and 2018. The school moved from position 43 to 15 nationally.

She talks to the girls about empowerment, but she doesn't' just talk, she walks the walk. She wakes up at 5am to ensure the girls' breakfast is ready by 6am.

 Domestic violence

Ms Menjo, an alumni of Kenyatta University and the University of Nairobi where she graduated with Bachelor of Education degree and a Masters in Sociology respectively, says when a girl is educated there are fewer occurrences of HIV/Aids and domestic violence, making the world a healthier and a safer place for all.

"These girls are potential mothers and a mother is the first teacher in life. When you give support to a woman, you see the entire family potentially lifted out of extreme poverty. When women have access to decent work and leadership, they are less likely to be abused, and more likely to have a say in political and social issues," she says.

She says Covid-19 has disrupted the way the school operates.

"We are not mingling as we used to do. We have suspended parents' days. We have converted stores into dormitories and use tents and tree shades as alternative classrooms."

She says just like other institutions, the school was affected by teen pregnancies.

"We had very few cases. The girls are back to school and we are counselling and encouraging them to continue their education," adds Ms Menjo.

To address indiscipline in schools, she suggests that parents should monitor what content their children watch and read.

 "You are what you read and watch."

She says her role model is the late Philomena Chelagat Mutai, a former Eldoret North MP, a trailblazer, activist and politician, who was known for her stand on political assassinations, land grabs and corruption.

“I want to leave a legacy of excellence and open-mindedness,” says Ms Menjo.

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