Preparing for the Holiday Program
November 12, 2018
One of our girls reported to Moi Teachers Training College in Baringo yesterday. Baringo is 296 kilometers from Nairobi (184 miles). She will board at the school for the next four weeks. Her baby is 11 months old, so she left her with her mother. Valvisions paid the tuition fees and sent a copy to the school. She is elated to be back at school, and she sends her warmest regards and gratitude. She realizes how lucky she is to have a second chance to further her education.
Father Bernard informs me that they will have two programs for boys. The first will run from the 20th of November to the 11th of December, and the second one from the 30th of November to the 22nd of December. This will be for the boys who will be circumcised in the month of December as is the custom. Father Bernard is happy that we are planning to run the Valvisions’ program around the same time. The message from the alternative-right of passage will be very clear that circumcision is okay for the boys, but not for the girls.
The church started the announcements this past Sunday asking the girls to register for the program, and the response is very good. The parents are also happy to hear that the girls will go through a mentorship program. With the current news that has left many parents in shock regarding teenage pregnancies, the program could not have come at a better time. This holiday is long, having the children home for 2 months puts the parents under a lot of stress. Peer pressure is very real, and most girls tend to engage in risky behavior during the holidays and the results are usually very dire. Most pregnancies occur during the school holidays. Anything to keep these teenagers engaged is very welcome, so they can stay out of mischief. The parents are also not able to talk to their children about sexual matters, and they are happy to have someone else do it.