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EDUCATING MAASAI GIRLS IN TANZANIA
CASE STUDY: Nabaya Parmya’s Story
The Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC) and Community Aid and Small Enterprises
Consultancy (CASEC) are working together in 40 schools in northern Tanzania to fight for
the right for girls to have an education. The aim is to reduce gender differences in the
enrolment, retention and performance of girls in secondary schools.
One of the important elements of the project is the establishment of ‘girls’ clubs’ within
the schools. Maasai society is highly patriarchal and many girls are denied an education.
These clubs hope to empower girls through rights awareness on various subjects including;
education, early and forced marriages, HIV and AIDS, as well as through building
confidence.
“My name is Nabaya Parmya. I am
15 years old and go to Lake Natron
Secondary School in Ngorongoro
district, Tanzania. I have 6 brothers
and sisters and my family is poor
with few livestock. My father
couldn’t pay for my education, and
didn’t want me to go to secondary
school. If I got married, he would
get the dowry of cows. PWC has
become like a saviour for me
because they took me to school.
Now I am one of the ten best
students in my class of eighty
children.
At Lake Natron, I’m secretary of
our girls’ club. I’m very happy that
it has been established because it’s
brought a lot of changes to my life
and the lives of the other girls. I’ve
learnt about issues which stop me accessing an education and can talk openly about
problems I have at school and at home, like being married early, or getting pregnant or
HIV and AIDS. Since the club’s started I’ve noticed that people’s behaviour has changed,
especially the relationships between boys and girls. And me? Now I understand my rights
better. In my culture girls have no say on any issues that affect their lives. My father,
elder brothers and uncles are the people who have power over my destiny. Now I know
what rights I have and how I can communicate with people to stand up for them.
I will work so hard so that once I will complete my studies I will be a community
development officer so that I can make the Maasai community aware of the importance of
girls education. In my village and the whole ward not any girl has ever even completed
form six just because of pregnancy and early and forced marriages. So I want to become a
role model to my community.”
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