Kakenya’s dream for higher education has inspired us all. Her story has been published widely, but I never tire of being reminded of her grace and strength. There are still millions of girls throughout Africa who face genital mutilation, child labor, and forced marriages, and whose futures are limited because of traditions and attitudes that treat girls as property. It was beautiful to see Kakenya Ntaiya emerge from this scenario not only as the first women from the Maasai village of Enoosaen to earn a PhD, but also as an advocate for the girls who remain.

A Vital Voices delegation ventured to the Maasai Mara area, and drove another 4 hours in Transmara West to the village of Enoosaen, to participate in the ground-breaking of the Kakenya’s Leadership School for girls, which will be the only girls boarding school in the area. Kakenya is our 2008 Rising Voices Award winner, and is a renown advocate for girls’ rights and education.

The whole village came out to support Kakenya and to show their support of girls. A girls’ choir sang and danced a tribute to Kakenya, demanding public support for the school, and pledging their own commitment to study and to cherish the opportunity she is working to provide.

The sight of these girls singing their powerful tribute–most of them marrying age by traditional standards—brought tears to the eyes of the women in the audience. They were tears of joy as well as tears of pain, and I imagine the songs reminded them of opportunities lost and the rejection they faced as their own education was denied them.

During the ceremony, women teachers spoke and expressed their pride in Kakenya, and their pain at seeing other girls they taught be married off, their futures stolen. Local government officials also spoke, and several offered financial and other support for the school. The best commitment was made by one officials regarding enforcement of minimum marriage age laws. He told of how men would come to his office seeking assistance in recovering dowry payments that were owed to them after their daughters had been married off. This official pledged that if the daughters were married by force or under the age of 18, he would arrest the men on the spot. The message was clear—girls are more valuable than cattle. Girls’ education is valuable not only for the girl, but for the family and the future of the Maasai people. It’s sad that there are people who still need to be told to value children for who they are, not for the income they can bring, but having moved on from Enoosaen, I can say it is a message that needs to repeated widely and often.

After the heartfelt speeches, the school grounds were blessed, and Kakenya and her mother were the first to dig the place where the school would be built. We look forward to the completion of the school, and to a future where all children are loved and valued, and given a chance to achieve their dreams.