Mother trashes custom to help daughter evade marriage on school opening day
What you need to know:
- Many suitors started making marriage proposals to her family in the Lmisigiyoi village in Samburu County.
- Despite her protests, family members entertained marriage negotiations, even receiving tokens from potential suitors as per Samburu traditions.
For Dominica Lenkaina, the spectre of marriage at the age of 12 became a haunting reality after she completed her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) last year.
Many suitors started making marriage proposals to her family in the Lmisigiyoi village in Samburu County.
But despite her protests, family members entertained marriage negotiations, even receiving tokens from potential suitors from neighbouring villages as per Samburu traditions.
Read: Unicef: War on child marriage far from over
Facing an impending forced marriage, Dominica shared her disapproval with her mother, Miriam Lenkaina, emphasising her desire to continue with her education.
Desperate, the girl and her mother planned a daring escape on the day a family from the area was to accompany their son to propose to her.
In a bold move to protect her daughter's dreams, Miriam sought refuge for Dominica, a safe place where she could avoid gender-violence (GBV) and pursue her education.
In the patriarchal community, women often have minimal influence on decision-making.
Confirming the multiple marriage proposals, Miriam explained the necessity of their escape.
“Some family members really wanted her to be married off. We have made a huge risk to escape, but it is necessary for my daughter's future,” she told Nation.Africa in an interview.
While early and forced marriages are illegal, they persist among the Samburu, with girls as young as 12 becoming victims.
Fee headache
The Lenkainas, facing poverty, had already experienced the challenges of affording education, with their firstborn son having dropped out of school at Form Two for lack of school fees.
“My firstborn son dropped out because of lack of school fees. If my daughter gets married off, then I do not have a future,” she said, highlighting the economic hardship her family faces.
She said she was unable to buy any learning materials or personal effects because of poverty and the prevailing situation at home.
Upon arriving at AIC Moi Girls School, where she has been called, Dominica, clad in a worn-out uniform, expressed her determination to continue her studies.
With dreams of becoming a nurse, she scored 207 marks at Lmisigiyoi Primary School, but the risk of returning to the village, where she could be forcibly married, motivated the daring escape.
Efforts to secure bursaries and scholarships proved futile for Dominica, with sponsors citing her marks as insufficient.
However, AIC Moi Girls School Principal Alice Gituro acknowledged the school's decision to admit needy students and provided Dominica with uniforms, a mattress, and personal effects.
“We have admitted her and all other special cases in the hope they will get well-wishers to help them. I believe a school acts as a better opportunity for such cases than staying at home,” Ms Gituro stated.
In Samburu County, where poverty and GBV prevail, marrying off girls is viewed as a source of ‘wealth’ due to bride price, often in the form of cattle.
Negative cultural practices, including forced marriages, contribute to the alarming rates of teenage pregnancies in the region, as revealed by recent Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data.
Campaigners against GBV emphasise that adolescent pregnancies in Samburu are typically a consequence of cultural practices, limiting girls’ involvement in decisions affecting their lives.
