Girls from Turkana attending class studying. [nation.co.ke]
Nyanza Initiatives for Girls’ Education and Empowerment (NIGEE) has been challenged to focus more on helping girls pursue their education rather than securing them job opportunities.
Thomas Mukala, Faulu Bank manager advised that it was better to equip girls with education up to the tertiary level in order for them to be independent and achieve their long-term career goals rather than linking them to employment opportunities.
“The girls have potential and unless we encourage them to pursue their dreams, we’ll have committed a great disservice to them, he continued.
Speaking at the Employers feedback forum held at Kisumu hotel on Thursday, Mukala, however, cautioned that linking girls to employment was both a blessing and curse as some girls took the opportunities to build and grow themselves while some got overly exposed and indulged in immoral behaviors.
It was also agreed that there was a need to provide the girls with mental and psychological counseling since most felt unwanted and had issues of low self-esteem.
He said this will help in curbing the problem of the girls isolating themselves from the society.
Rosemary Odigo, a representative from Airtel Company lamented that men had forgotten their roles in empowering women and instead took advantage of them, especially the young innocent girls.
Organizations that had excelled in fostering women issues like; Impact Research Organization, Airtel company and Pride Kings Security Firm were rewarded.
Speaking at the same forum, NIGEE training coordinator, Florence Pamnas, said that the organization’s goal was to empower and return to school girls who dropped out due to poverty, pregnancy and early marriages.