EDWIN OCHALY: WISER, THE BRIDGE TO SUCCESS

EDWIN OCHALY: WISER, THE BRIDGE TO SUCCESS: Only 5% of girls reach secondary school in Muhuru due to pregnancy, HIV orphanage, and early marriage. Few receive the support necessary...

EDWIN OCHALY: Ukunda Muslim Leader Shot dead

EDWIN OCHALY: Ukunda Muslim Leader Shot dead: A Muslim leader was on Thursday night shot dead and several other people seriously injured at the South Coast when gunmen attacked a passeng...

Ukunda Muslim Leader Shot dead

A Muslim leader was on Thursday night shot dead and several other people seriously injured at the South Coast when gunmen attacked a passenger vehicle traveling from Likoni to Ukunda. The four armed men trailed the minibus from Likoni before blocking it at Tiwi at 6.13pm. They then ordered those who were on board to lie down and surrender their belongings. Some witnesses said the gunmen did not steal anything from the passengers but only targeted the clergy Hassan Mwayuyu, a tailor at Msikiti Nuru area in Ukunda. But police said that the gunmen robbed the 29 passengers of their cash, mobile phones and other valuables before shooting dead the cleric who refused to surrender his phone and cash. The deceased was shot three times in the head. Council of Imams and Preacher of Kenya South Coast chair Sheikh Amir Banda condemned the incident and said it was unfortunate that Islamic leaders were being targeted everyday. Kwale OCPD Richard Mugwai said that they only found the driver, conductor, loader and the body of the deceased when they arrived at the scene as the passengers had left. “The deceased is known to me as a Muslim leader and a tailor. If he has become a radical Muslim, I have no idea. If someone has issues, police should have arrested him and taken him to court,” said Banda. "Killing will not solve anything but only increase problems." added Banda In his office on Friday morning, Mugwai said it was a simple case of robbery with violence so people should not panic. “The passenger vehicle KBN 626 H had stopped to alight a passenger. When it was almost leaving, a saloon car which was trailing them blocked it on the front and the incident occurred in seconds,” said Mugwai. He said that there were hard four gunmen in the car armed with rifles. One gunman handled the driver, two robbed passengers and shot the deceased, while the fourth was the car driver. The gunmen shot the front tires of the minibus before they attacked and afterwards sped off towards Ukunda town. “The two people who were said to have been injured could not be traced where they were taken for treatment up to now. We are investigating and so we urge locals to remain calm,” he said. “Drivers should be careful when dropping passengers at night in places which are not designated for dropping. Criminals are sharp and can plant their people in a passenger vehicle to attack them at such points,” he said. He said that the place where the passenger was dropped was not a bus stop so it might have been a plan. Mugwai appealed to the public to help with information.

WISER, THE BRIDGE TO SUCCESS

Only 5% of girls reach secondary school in Muhuru due to pregnancy, HIV orphanage, and early marriage. Few receive the support necessary for success.
10% of teen girls in Muhuru have HIV. Education drops girls’ risk of acquisition by 50% and improves child survival. Educated girls change communities.
WISER is a community development organization focused on the social empowerment of underprivileged girls through education.
In 2006, prior to the creation of WISER, only 5% of girls transitioned from primary to secondary school. An assessment of teen sexual and economic behaviors was completed in 2009.  In a community with 38% HIV prevalence, half of all 12 year olds reported having sex for money to get basic supplies, including sanitary pads, to stay in school. Most girls dropped out of primary school due to unexpected pregnancy, the death of a parent, or arranged marriage. Those girls that completed primary school earned poor grades and rarely entered secondary school. The continual pattern of underachievement reinforces the widespread belief that girls are a commodity to be traded, rather than educated, for a small herd of cattle.
WISER is the solution. By training teachers, providing mentoring and rigorously monitoring academic progress, primary students now succeed academically. WISER has doubled the number of girls finishing primary school. WISER works with 14 schools comprised of 700 students to provide educational support for girls. We train Kenyan teachers to be both better educators and champions of girls’ personal and academic potential. We change the system.
We provide sanitary pads for all girls so no girl is forced to choose between missing school due to menstruation or finding a “sugar daddy” for support. Community events highlight girls’ achievements and the top girls receive full scholarships to secondary school.
Mentoring, improved education, and enhanced social support has increased the number of girls in Muhuru Bay who qualify for secondary school by over 300%. Now these girls are celebrated by the community and are changing how a girl is valued.
WISER produces successful girls, changing how girls are valued. Girls across Muhuru now know they are worth more than two cows; their demands for education and a brighter future are increasingly met by receptive parents, teachers, and community members. WISER’s continued presence in the community enhances the prestige and opportunities attainable by girls around the area.  With your help, WISER will help girls meet their potential, curb the cycle of early marriage, teenage pregnancy, and HIV.