By Sally Kivaya
Margaret Sanger once said “Woman must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression.” But most young women living in kayole have been taught or forced to accept living in silence and are not pursuing their dreams.
It is a well-known fact that most women face a lot of challenges when they strive to achieve more than what society dictates. These challenges may differ from one woman to another, but for young girls living in places like Kayole, achieving their dreams can prove almost impossible because of the challenges they face every day.
Challenges such as poverty, overcrowding, unemployment, water shortage, poor infrastructure, lack of access to good education, inadequate urban sanitation, insecurity, income inequalities, socioeconomic inequalities, marginalization, various forms of exclusion and many more affect most of the people living in kayole but women and children are the most vulnerable.
Poverty has led to the destruction of the lives of many young women in Kayole. It has affected the upbringing of both the young men and women. It has a negative impact on the education of the children living in Kayole. With a large population of approximately 500,000 people, the majority being children, women and youth, Kayole has less than 10 public schools which are not enough to serve and offer quality education to this population. This means the burden is left for parents to cover the high cost of education in private schools. This has affected most children especially young girls, because due to lack of money, their school attendance is not always regular. This leaves them vulnerable to situations like early marriages, unplanned pregnancies, drug abuse, child labor, sexual and gender based violence and many more misfortunes.
For the young girls to achieve their dreams and live better lives what they need is empowerment and support from their parents, spouses and their communities. Some community based organizations in Kayole are giving hope back to the young people. One of the organizations known as TRICKLE UP has been focusing on empowering the young girls through adult learning, vocational training and empowering them to become advocate of change in the community.
Economic empowerment is very important in the lives of young women. This gives them financial freedom and helps them achieve on their dreams without depending on anyone. That is why it is important for young people to get both education and skills that can help them secure jobs or start their own businesses.
The society should be empowered to understand that women can succeed on their own without depending on anyone or engaging in illegal activities to make a living. Young women have a voice and they should be allowed to speak and be listened to.
As Nancy Pelosi said,” Women are leaders everywhere you look from the CEO who runs a Fortune company, to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.”
The young women of Kayole deserve a chance to achieve their dreams today and not get forced to wait for a tomorrow which never comes.
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