Rescuing Masai girls from early marriage
<p><span word="Priscilla">Priscilla</span> <span word="Nangurai">Nangurai</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Kajiado">Kajiado</span>, <span word="Kenya">Kenya</span>, <span word="retired">retired</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="teacher">teacher</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="thousand">thousand</span> <span word="five">five</span>. <span word="Today">Today</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="age">age</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="sixty">sixty</span>-<span word="two">two</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quiet">quiet</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="retirement">retirement</span>. <span word="Instead">Instead</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="leads">leads</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="organization">organization</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="GRACE">GRACE</span> -- <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Girls">Girls</span>' <span word="Rights">Rights</span>, <span word="Attention">Attention</span>, <span word="Care">Care</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Rescue">Rescue</span> <span word="Center">Center</span>. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="tries">tries</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="rescue">rescue</span> <span word="Masai">Masai</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="education">education</span>.</p><p><span word="She">She</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="rescued">rescued</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 700 <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="since">since</span> 1986. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="fifteen">fifteen</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="center">center</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dormitory">dormitory</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eighty">eighty</span> <span word="girls">girls</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="culture">culture</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Masai">Masai</span> <span word="people">people</span>, <span word="fathers">fathers</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="promise">promise</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="daughters">daughters</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="older">older</span> <span word="men">men</span>. <span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ages">ages</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="twelve">twelve</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fourteen">fourteen</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="younger">younger</span>. <span word="Their">Their</span> <span word="bodies">bodies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="sex">sex</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="childbirth">childbirth</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="problem">problem</span>. <span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="leave">leave</span> <span word="school">school</span>.</p><p><span word="Priscilla">Priscilla</span> <span word="Nangurai">Nangurai</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="older">older</span> <span word="sister">sister</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="forced">forced</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="age">age</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="demanded">demanded</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Priscilla">Priscilla</span> <span word="receive">receive</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="education">education</span>. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="problem">problem</span> <span word="begins">begins</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="girl">girl</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> "<span word="booked">booked</span>" <span word="when">when</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="young">young</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="yet">yet</span>.</p><p><span word="PRISCILLA">PRISCILLA</span> <span word="NANGURAI">NANGURAI</span>: "<span word="Booking">Booking</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="parent">parent</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="marry">marry</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="family">family</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="family">family</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="there">there</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="book">book</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wives">wives</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expectant">expectant</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="say">say</span>, '<span word="I">I</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="womb">womb</span>.' <span word="And">And</span> <span word="he">he</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="allowed">allowed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="that">that</span>."</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="fourteen">fourteen</span>-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="girl">girl</span> <span word="named">named</span> <span word="Roseline">Roseline</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rescue">rescue</span> <span word="center">center</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="thousand">thousand</span> <span word="eight">eight</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="age">age</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="booked">booked</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="thinks">thinks</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="sixty">sixty</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="seventy">seventy</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="old">old</span>.</p>
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