Page 25 - Aidlink AR 2021

Parents in Turkana can betroth their daughters for marriage at a young age. A man pays a dowry and waits until she is about 10 years old to make her his bride. The girl child has no say in this decision. Pressures due to drought, economic insecurity and Covid-19 are influencing more parents to return to this practice.
Despite the child’s basic right to education being part of the regulatory framework of the Kenyan Constitution, this right continues to be denied to many children, especially those from marginalised, nomadic pastoralist communities.
Rights of Child Clubs (ROC clubs) form an integral part
of Aidlink’s gender and education programmes and aim to tackle this issue. Children are trained to promote and protect child rights and share their knowledge with fellow students, their family members and the wider community in an effort to sensitise them on the child’s right to education.
“We speak to our peers in school every day about the benefits of education. Our voices are being heard and we are starting to see girls come back to school. We thank Girl Child Network and Aidlink for the training on our rights and for working with our community.”
Simon, a member of the ROC club in Morulem Primary School
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Once these girls have been beaded, their wish to go to school is denied. Instead, they are kept at home and prepared to become wives and take on the challenges that come with marriage. Their parents only see them in terms of how many animals they will bring. Many of our sisters and other girls in our community can never go to school because they have already been beaded by their parents and are waiting to be married off.
Cynthia, Head Girl of Morulem Primary School and a member of the Rights of Child Club in the school
Young girl betrothed for marriage, Turkana, Kenya. Photo credit GCN
CASE STUDY
Children Challenging Early Child Marriage