Shukri’s Story: Supporting girls’ education

“Continue Supporting Girls’ Education”, that is my message”, Shukri shared in a meeting with White Ribbon staff last week, where we discussed ways to engage men and boys in supporting girls’ education.

Today is the International Day of the girl child and we, at White Ribbon, would like to take this opportunity to echo the need to strengthen global efforts to empower girls and ensure their human rights. In line with this year’s theme, With Her: A Skilled GirlForce, we are sharing Shukri’s success story: a story that can inspire refugee girls’ journey to a better future.

Shukri is a former community mobilizer that supported the Kenya Equity in Education Program (KEEP) and had attended the White Ribbon ‘Engaging Men and Boys Training’ twice in 2016 at Hanshi palace in Dadaab. She is also a recipient of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC)’s post-secondary scholarship through the Student Refugee Program. 

​Right after school, Shukri decided to apply to become a community mobilizer with WUSC. As a community mobilizer in 2016/17, she supported efforts to keep girls in school longer so they could complete their educational journey. Why exactly this project caught her attention with its focus on girls’ opportunities? Because “there were so many ways that girls could not compete with boys”, Shukri says.

​When speaking further on the role of men and boys in supporting girls’ education, she suggested that 

boys can do more to ensure that girls feel comfortable at schools. In addition, she stated the importance of community and block leaders embracing solidarity, as well as introducing daycare facilities to support child-headed households to go to school. While giving us these great inputs, Shukri remembered a story.

In Hagadera Refugee Camp, she liaised with the father of a 15-year-old girl, who planned for his daughter to be married to a man in the United States. The father made a living off collecting firewood outside the camp and selling it inside. It was however not enough to provide for his 15-year-old daughter and her younger siblings. The way out for him meant sending his daughter away to marry.

 Shukri and another male community mobilizer had a conversation with the father to convince him that marriage was not the only way. They showed him their own example: as recipients of scholarships from WUSC they were given the opportunity to better their own future and that of their families. The same chance for his daughter would benefit not only her well-being but also the entire family as opposed to dowries which are only of short-term help, adding that investing in girls’ education will also contribute to the community at large. Shukri wished to emphasize this:

“The message I will send to the community and everyone who is supporting girls is to continue [to advocate]. Because we really have challenges. And when the girls are being supported they bring back good results. Like 99 % they don’t sit back with whatever they were given, they see the opportunities.”
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​Shukri is an inspiration, working tirelessly to redress gender inequitable attitudes that hold girls back. Community mobilizers like her are of great importance to achieve gender equality, avoid forced marriages and strengthening girls’ right to go to school. Shukri is now in Canada, studying to be a nurse. ​​

Since the inception of the project in 2014, White Ribbon has delivered a number of training initiatives in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps together with community mobilizers to engage men and boys to support girls’ education. The goal is to contribute to a positive change in communities’ attitudes and enable supportive behaviours towards girls’ education.

Kenya Equity in Education Project (KEEP) is funded with UK aid from the UK government and implemented by World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Windle International Kenya. White Ribbon Canada (WRC) has been engaged since KEEP phase I to strengthen community mobilizers' capacity to engage men and boys to support girls’ education. White Ribbon is currently providing technical support to mainstream male engagement throughout the three-year project.​