Huipalas - Solidarity and International Cooperation

EARLY, CHILD MARRIAGES A HINDRANCE TO EDUCATION

On the afternoon of Friday the 10^thof February, I was invited by Halima Hassain- a social worker who works with young girls in Korogocho to accompany her to Highridge area, one of the villages in Korogocho. Despite the scorching heat that afternoon, we arrived to be welcomed by two women dressed in traditional black Hijabs and holding babes to their bosoms. I could not speak Arabic or Borana, and that’s where the community social worker came in assistance. After some salutations in Borana, we were ushered into a small stuffed house that had only two beds and a cooking area.

The reason for this visit was to compile a case study for the Distance Adoption Program being run by Huipalas Association here in Kenya.  We had been informed about a girl who had ran away from her home in Mandera, North of Kenya, after her uncle had tried to forcefully marry her off to an old man from South Africa.

By Longinos Nagila

From where I sat I could not clearly see his face due to the darkness that had begun forming in his brother's small house. Outside the house rain drops could be heard hitting on the dusty ground, a mixture of dust and waste polythene bags collected just near the door. The house lacked electricity and ventilation, therefore lowering the intensity of the natural light in the house.
Children were busy enjoying themselves in the rains as it had taken long since it rained here, and they were relieved that the dust will soon be gone. Their joyful voices could be heard from a long distance, was it not for heavy rumbling of maize milling machines from the main road in Ngunyumu, Korogocho.
I had heard of his stories, of a young man engaging old men in political battles here in Ngunyumu. But I never was interested until the day I met him. For many, George posses as an ordinary young person, probably trying to look for a way out of his damning financial situation. At only the age of twenty seven years old, George is already eyeing a political position  in one of the most popular political party in Kenya, The Orange Democratic Movement also known as ODM.

by Longinos Nagila

Sudan is the largest country in Africa, with a complex humanitarian situation in the western region of Darfur. It is also categorized as a low-income, food-deficit by the United Nation. About 5 million people of the Southern Sudan live in displacement due to the Darfur conflict that has existed for about two decades, while an estimate of about 2 million people lost their lives in this war.

The longest civil war in Africa has left the Southern part of Sudan undeveloped, both in terms of economy that brings along structural development and human resource. Education is amongst the sectors that have been severely affected. With few schools and lack of enough trained teachers, children in this region find it hard to get education. To solve this problem United Nation came up with a plan to recruit teachers and skilled laborers from Kenya and Uganda to work in and train the people of Southern Sudan.

Though I knew little about Southern Sudan, it was until the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in Nairobi in 2005 that I became a great admirer of Dr. John de Mabior Garang, the leader of Sudan’s People Liberation Movement/Army and the first president of Southern Sudan and from then I took a great interest on Southern Sudan.

At first many saw him as rebel leader who was out to cause mayhem in the country, yet to the people of Southern Sudan Dr. John Garang de Mabior was a father who was to lead them into freedom and peace. He had spent sometimes in exile in Nairobi Kenya before going back to his land to fight against the Khartoum backed rebel group the Janja weed. He stayed true to his call of liberating the People of the South until he met his death in a plane crash in 2005.

In November, 2010 I met two young people from Southern Sudan and invited them in my house to see some of my painting while we talked about our countries. Daniel Laat was from Rumbek while Daniel Mariel was from Mapuordit. They were both proud of being from the South and were looking forward to the referendum.

We discussed a couple of topics including arts and politics. Daniel Laat had spent some years schooling in Kenya, therefore he was aware a lot of things about Kenya.

 I asked why it was important for Southern Sudan to separate from the North also known as Khartoum government and what role were the young people of the south playing to ensure that Southern Sudan became free?