![\"Jerusalem](\"http:\/\/www.oaic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DSC_0560-2.jpg\")
<\/a>The Jerusalem Girls Secondary School in West Pokot is a girl\u2019s school that was started to rescue girls in the community from the outlawed Female Genital Mutilation practice.<\/p>\n
The school spon\u00adsored by Dini Ya Roho Mafuta Pole Church in West Pokot, one of the largest African Instituted Churches (AICs) and a mem\u00adber of OAIC saw it fit to develop\u00a0 a rescue centre for girls run\u00adning away from FGM and early mar\u00adriages.<\/p>\n
The school started with 32 stu\u00addents and the Constituency De\u00advelopment Funds (CDF) enabled them to put up a building for the school. When it started, the teachers and students used to sleep in the classrooms but cur\u00adrently they have one dormitory. \u201cWe still continue to face chal\u00adlenges such as lack of sufficient classrooms as one off our build\u00ading is used as a multipurpose hall. Housing for the teachers is also a big problem. Neverthe\u00adless, we\u2019re optimistic that next year we shall present our first candidates for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and hopeful that they will per\u00adform well,\u201d notes Ms Lydia Nai\u00adbei, the school\u2019s Principal.<\/p>\n Ms Naibei who teaches English literature is a role model for the girls as she continues to urge them to work hard. With a stu\u00addent population of 126 students, 16 of them are set to sit for their final examinations next year. It currently has 7 teachers, 3 of whom are employed by the gov\u00adernment while 5 are employed by the Board of Governors. (B.O.G).<\/p>\n Unfortunately girls in this largely patriarchal society are merely perceived as assets for their parents to get wealth when they become old enough to get married. Girls as young as 12 are often married off once dowry has been paid to their parents. Often many end up dropping out of school and by the time they are in their 20\u2019s, some have 4 or more children.<\/p>\n \u201cJerusalem Girls first started as a safe house for girls who were running away from retrogressive tra\u00additional practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriages that are common in this community. The church saw<\/p>\n the need to start a school that would help the girls and admit\u00adted many of whom were young mothers. Most of the girls leave their children with their mater\u00adnal grandparents when they join the school,\u201d notes Ms Naibei.<\/p>\n \u201cEarly child marriages are com\u00admon. At the age of 10, when they see the characteristics of woman\u00adhood, they feel like the girl is ready for marriage. Here paying dowry starts early and the bride is booked. The church thought it wise to protect the ones who desiring to continue with edu\u00adcation. Some people would like to blame situations such as hun\u00adger as an incentive to get dowry from rich older men for their daughters,\u201d noted Job Mwetich OAICs field officer.<\/p>\n Gloria Cherop experienced FGM and a near early marriage. She comes from the Northern part of the region where FGM is valued and perceived as a good thing culturally. \u201cI was married off when I was in Standard 8. My family didn\u2019t value educa\u00adtion much; girls\u2019 education was not valued. I believed that edu\u00adcation would help me transform my<\/p>\n community. I was lucky as my mother helped me to escape to Jerusalem Girls. I found when Jerusalem was just starting when I joined. The church has supported me since then as they continue to pay my school fees. I am working hard as I would like to join university and become a teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n Another girl narrated how she was married off early and got pregnant while in standard 8. After giving birth to 2 children her hus\u00adband died and she was to be inher\u00adited by an older man but she was lucky to escape and found shelter at Jeru\u00adsalem girls\u2019 school. Her parents had already received dowry and could hear none of it but her relatives assisted her to join the school. She\u2019s currently a Form 3 student.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>