Carol Gor, 36, thought her chances of obtaining a secondary education ended 11 years ago when her parents, who rely on fishing along Lake Victoria, failed to raise the fees. She stayed at home for a few years, got pregnant and was soon married.
“When I completed primary school at the age of 15, I hoped my parents would somehow find the money to take me to secondary school; but they did not,” Gor told IRIN. “With peer pressure, I soon found myself pregnant; I then got married and before too long I had had five children, but I didn’t give up, I persuaded my husband to allow me to return to primary school and try again.”
For Gor and 60 other girls, the establishment of the Women’s Institute for Secondary Education and Research (WISER) two years ago by DGHI faculty member Sherryl Broverman and Duke alumnus Andy Cunningham has helped them obtain an education that was otherwise only a dream. Dorcas Oyugi, the school’s principal, said the institution would help bridge the gap between boys’ and girls’ education in the division. WISER also offers several subjects that are not mandated in the Kenyan secondary school curriculum, including sign language, French, business and computer studies.
The story is featured in IRIN, a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Read the full story “Kenya: Education Boost for Girls in Muhuru Bay.”
