The Maasai are
an asocial people where traditionally the woman is discriminated in social
cultural, economic, religious and political aspects of life. The most gruesome
of traditional practices in this community is female genital mutilation (FGM). This
is a practice that has over the years has been attributed to bringing a lot of
misery to the girl child as well as denying her a chance to an education since
most of these girls are forcefully married off at a tender age. It is for this
reason that in 1992 a group of bold women founded a group called Nasaru Ntoyie
which is Maasai for let us save the girl child.
I had had a
chance to talk to one of its founders Peninah Nasieku Tompo, adorned in the Maasai
traditional wear she could easily pass for any Maasai woman. However there is
nothing ordinary about Peninah also commonly known as mama Odu or mama Symo, is
an extra ordinary woman. In Isinya and Kajiado at large she is a champion, a champion
of the girl child’s rights.
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| Meet Peninah |
At first glance
she has a bubbly personality which hides her lifelong tale and burden she bears
for her community. As I talk to her, this time not as casually as other days it
strikes me that she is full of contagious passion.
Her story began
nearly 40 years ago when a mzungu literally snatched from the hands of an ugly FGM
and early marriage and this paved the way for an education. This experience
opened many doors of opportunity for her something women in her community at
the time could only dream of, it also enabled her to view the world around her
from different lenses.
Peninah
now a retired nurse and trained advocate
is ironically a mother of 5 boys and one would then ask themselves then why the
hustle to rescue other people’s children. She tells me that being a rescue case
herself, it’s enough that she rescues other young girls as away to give back to
society for changing her life for the better. She is also glad that the new
constitution dispensation recognizes that FGM is a heinous crime.
Each member of
the group is at task to make do some bead work which is later sold and a
percentage of the money goes to educating girls who have been rescued by the
group.
The road has not
been without any bumps, Peninah has been threatened, criticized and even
sometimes ostracized by her fellow women folk for the work she does, despite
all this, vivacious Peninah cannot help but smile at the successes the group
has had over the years, she tells me that a good number of girls that the group
has rescued have now completed their university or college others working. The
girls have also followed in her footsteps by rescuing girls in the villages
they come from.
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| Peninah attends to a customer during an open day in Kitengela |
Anyone who has
seen a Maasai woman doing her bead work knows that it takes a lot of time
effort and commitment, each bead goes in alone, but all beads together form an
intricate design to be held at awe by all those who see it. In this same spirit
Nassaru Ntoyie’s efforts will continue until each child is safe from FGM and
forced early marriage and one bead at a time the group shall finally get there.
Article written by Njeri Kenyaggia
