By Hezron Ochiel , Thomson Reuters Foundation. Laikipia, KENYA Thomson Reuters Foundation - Christine Gathoni dreamed of becoming a doctor, not a patient, grimacing in pain as she pushed her baby girl into the world.
Two out of five year-old women in Kenya are either pregnant or have given birth, with the highest rates among the poorest, according to government statistics. Their parents often encourage them to get married to escape the stigma of being a single mother. The persistent cultural belief that girls who have given birth are adults - who have no place in a classroom - also means that as many as nine in 10 Kenyan girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy never return. Gathoni, however, was determined to complete her education.
Despite free primary education being introduced in Kenya more than a decade ago, many students still drop out of school because their families cannot afford uniforms, books and admission fees. Almost six out of 10 students who start primary school do not complete secondary school, government figures show.
Menstruating girls may skip lessons because of a lack of toilets and sanitary towels. But research shows that girls who are allowed to complete secondary schooling, are likely to earn more, and have fewer unwanted pregnancies and healthier children. Its mission is to identify 10, girls in Laikipia, neighboring Meru county, and Mombasa on the coast, who need the most help and cover their school fees, textbooks, uniforms and sanitary towels.
Since the project started in June , more than girls have gone back to school. Another key component of the two-and-a-half year program, funded by the British government, is to convince local communities that keeping girls in school - rather than marrying them off for dowry - is in their best interest.
