The First Lady, Rachel Ruto, has called for concerted efforts to help young girls attain their full potential in life.
Mrs. Ruto singled out abject poverty as one of the greatest impediments that hinders girls from realising their lifelong dreams, with the majority of them being forced to shoulder the burden of assisting their parents in fending for the family.
She said no effort should be spared in ensuring every girl can access quality education and other essential services that can equip her with skills that can transform her life and make her contribute to the development of the nation.
The First Lady was speaking during celebrations to mark this year’s World Thinking Day at the Nyeri Moi Complex in commemoration of 105 years since the founding of the Kenya Girl Guides Association.
“Poverty remains one of the pressing issues limiting access to education, health and essential services for many girls. This is worsened by climate change that threatens the livelihoods of many communities, making it difficult for many girls to remain in schools.
A strategy to achieve the government’s target of 100 per cent enrolment and retention is ensuring Kenya meets its feeding goal of 10 million children accessing food by 2030,” she said.
The First Lady similarly challenged learning institutions to support the Girl Guides Association in coming up with practical interventions that can help mitigate some of the challenges facing the country, such as climate change and food insecurity.
Mrs. Ruto noted that with proper training and support from other organs such as the 4K club, the movement can greatly help transform their immediate community by coming up with activities that will eventually have an enduring impact countrywide.
“As Girl Guides, we have the One Tree Campaign as an environmental flagship project. However, I urge the Guides to increase the tree cover from one tree to 30 trees a year. Some of those trees should be fruit trees. Collaborate with the 4K Club and allocate a piece of land for planting fruit trees and help mitigate against food insecurity,” she added.
Gender PS Ann Wang’ombe lauded the First Lady for spearheading efforts in advocating for gender equality and women empowerment in the country.
Wang’ombe said it is through such initiatives that women can be placed in a vantage position that can thrust them into leadership positions that can contribute to the development of the country.
“This movement (Girl Guide) is not only about learning skills but also about building character. It is about courage and it’s about standing for what is right. It is very hard to find a Girl Guide in the wrong. So, we must carry that virtue along with fostering a world where women and girls are valued, respected and given equal opportunities,” she said.
The PS also welcomed the recent formation of a 42-member taskforce to address soaring femicide cases in the country, saying it will help in a big way to curb the vice.
She further dispelled the false notion that gender equality only advocates for the rights of the girl child, while maintaining that, on the contrary, this involves fighting for the welfare of both sexes.
On her part, Terry Chebet Maina, who is the National Chair, Kenya Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, called upon the movement to keep the spirit of the pioneers of the movement alive.
Maina said when General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell and his wife Olave St. Clair formed the Scouting Movement, it was to help nurture young men and women who can be dependable in society.
She therefore said this year’s celebration is to help reflect on the spirit behind the formation of the Boy Scout and Girl Guide movement and ensure its founding clarion call endures for posterity.
“As we gather here to celebrate and commemorate the Girl Guide movement, we are reminded of the incredible impact we have both locally and globally in advancing the rights of young men and women. This year we came under the theme; Our Story: Reflecting the Symbolism and Values of Our Movement. We honour the enduring legacy of the Kenya Girl Guides Association as a movement that has empowered women for over a century.
We acknowledge the values that guide our work, which are dignity, integrity, spirituality, servant leadership and citizenship—values that continue to shape us as we serve the girls.” she pointed out.
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included Nyeri County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi, Nyeri Central MP Duncan Maina Mathenge and Kenya Girl Guides National Executive Officer Claire Opiyo, among others.
The Scout Movement was started in 1907 by General Baden Powell, while his wife Olave St. Claire founded the Girl Guide Association in 1920.
Powell died on January 8, 1941 and was buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery in Nyeri, Kenya.
His wife Olave later moved back to England, but after she died in 1977, her ashes were returned to Kenya and interred beside her husband.
In 2001, the Kenyan government declared Baden-Powell’s grave a national monument.
Today more than 500 million young people and adults have taken part in Scouting since its birth a century ago.
By Samuel Maina and Beth Ndirangu
