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Ten Ways to Teach Your Children about Consent at Every Age.

It’s not an easy thing to talk with your kids about sex. We live in a culture soaked in sexuality where selling everything from cars to toys to clothing to the food we eat. You as a Parent have talked to your girls about losing virginity, boys and masturbation. But how many times have you properly educated your boys about how to identify and ask for consent??

 

Our society is plagued by a worsening epidemic of sexual violence, and as a mother and a survivor of sexual assault, I feel compelled to do whatever I can to change that.

It’s practically impossible to scroll through social media or watch the news without seeing some report of sexual assault, but the focus of these stories is the emphasis often placed on what girls should to do protect themselves: they should avoid wearing provocative clothing, they should never walk alone at night; they should take self-defense classes, and never get drunk at a party.

There is little mention of what should be done to stop our boys from growing into men who are capable of committing these heinous acts in the first place. I think we believe that if we teach our kids the difference between right and wrong, assuming that it goes without saying that sexual assault is the latter then we’ve done our job.

You might be thinking, Why is she favoring the Girl child? Honestly, I am not. The reality is both boys and girls should be educated.

By the time you hit them with the talk, children of all ages have already gotten a bunch of messages about sex, relationships, and consent from somewhere else. From cartoons to fairy tales, school mates,  pop songs, siblings to the kid next door… by the time your child can comprehend these stories, they’ve already internalized some concepts.

So as a parent, it’s your job to translate, explain, debunk, and convey these messages.

The most important thing you can teach both boys and girls is sexual consent. So what it is? How can you give it and how do you ask for it? Most importantly, why it is so important for healthy relationships?

I am going to give an overview of what consent lessons can look like for most families.

 

Would You Like to Help Keep just One of these Children in School? We are Raising School Fees for Our Beneficiaries through this Fund. One Dollar will Go A Long way!! Thank You!!

 

1. Teach the correct vocabulary early.

Consent education should start as soon as kids can understand the foundation concepts behind it. So where do you start? Giving your child the correct, scientific vocabulary to describe their body parts, including words like:

  • vulva
  • vagina
  • penis
  • testicles
  • anus

There are two major reasons to stay away from code words and slang. First and foremost, correct labels break down stigma and create a person who is sex positive and not embarrassed to talk about their bodies with their parents — not to mention a future teen who isn’t afraid to openly and clearly communicate with their romantic partner.

When we use coded language with little kids, it sounds like something we keep secret and don’t talk about, and that’s not the message we want to send.

2. Teach bodily autonomy and independence.

The next step when they are still at a young age is to teach them bodily autonomy. It is teaching that they have total control over what happens to their body.

Respect your kids’ wishes when it comes to hugging, kissing, cuddling, and tickling. The big example here is that they aren’t “forced” to hug and kiss anyone, even grandma. Children should get to choose their level of contact based on their level of comfort. Learn to respect their NO! “Okay, why should I do that? I am the adult here”. Point is, they should clearly understand and expect that when someone says “no” to bodily contact, that request should be immediately respected.

In addition to letting your child know that they get to choose when someone touches them, you should also begin teaching them that consent goes both ways. You can start by teaching them to ask their friends if they like to be hugged before going in for an embrace.

3. Talk about consent with friends and family.

A vital part of teaching bodily autonomy at this age is also educating your friends and family about boundaries, too. This way Grandma doesn’t get offended when she doesn’t get a kiss. She should know that it’s not a requirement that her grandchildren hug and kiss her or sit on her lap and you can teach her that she can offer alternatives.

When you teach your kid bodily autonomy, you’re not only teaching them to say no, you’re teaching them lots of consent-related skills. Like saying, ‘Can I high five you instead?’ when a hug isn’t wanted.

You’re mirroring what it looks like to be refused. If your child refuses a hug, you can say, ‘I know you still love me even if you don’t want to hug me.’ That statement shows that physical touch isn’t bad or wrong in this relationship, just that in this moment, you don’t want physical touch.”

4. Build stronger, healthier boundaries.

As your children grow older, your lessons about consent and autonomy can increase in complexity.

This is a good time to discuss concepts like coercion, when someone persuades you to consent to something against your original will. You can also discuss how to set healthy boundaries with people, and what they should do if those boundaries are violated.

5. Introduce concepts of sexism and misogyny.

At this age range, it’s imperative to talk to your children in depth about sexism and gender bias. Why? Sexism and misogyny have a lot to do with consent and can lead to harmful myths and misconceptions about consent and relationships, such as:

  • Men should always want sex and are expected to push the boundaries of how far they can go with partners.
  • The woman is a “gatekeeper” responsible for pacing or stopping sexual acts.
  • Women should obey men.
  • It isn’t “manly” or romantic to ask before kissing a woman or making a move sexually.

There are gender roles that can cause sexual scripts that can be harmful to sexual intimacy. For example, when a male asks a female for sex, and the female is responsible for saying no. That’s based on a harmful stereotype that men are always horny and ready for sex. It seems complex but you would be surprised at how much a child in middle school will understand this so well.

6. Teach critical thinking skills.

This is also a time to help your children to become independent critical thinkers by using examples of media they consume. They’re going to get harmful messages even when you aren’t around, and they must have the skills to think critically about them.

If you see sexism in the world around you, such as in music, television, movies, or real-life situations, point it out and ask them what they think. Help them reach their own conclusions.

For example, In most movie scenes, verbal consent is absent, which is a problem within itself. If you’re watching a movie with a kissing scene with your pre-teen, you might ask, “How do you think he knew that she wanted him to kiss her?”

I know you mostly focus on telling your children what they should not do. But you should focus on teaching your child what they should do, but helping them understand why you have the values you have, how you came to a decision in your own life, and how they could come to decisions on their own

Please! Please! Avoid too much lecturing and instead try to have two-way conversations.

7. Know how to respond when your kids ask about sex.

This is also the age when children might start asking you questions about sex and sexuality that you may not be prepared to answer but they’re mature enough to understand.

Don’t be afraid to say that you can talk about it another time, like after dinner so that you can have time to mentally prepare. Also, be sure to leave the door open for more discussion and be sure to end the conversation with a supportive statement, like, “I appreciate that you came and talked to me about this.”

8. Continue with more complex issues surrounding sexual consent.

High schoolers and young adults are ready to learn concrete lessons about sexual consent and healthy sexual relationships in full detail. These may be some of the toughest lessons to teach for parents, but they’re the most vital pieces to help your kids understand consent and build healthy relationships.

One mistake parents make when discussing consent is that they have limited talks with their children and male children mostly get different talks than female children.

For example, males tend to get only enough information about consent to prevent illegal actions related to rape and assault, while women may only get enough information to prevent their own rape and assault.

This form of “disaster prevention” sex education may indeed prevent some legal issues, but it doesn’t help break down our foundation cultural issues about consent or lend toward building enjoyable, equitable relationships. Please be sure to discuss the following issues:

  • Can a person who’s incapacitated by drugs or alcohol consent to sex?
  • Do you have to consent to sex after the first time you have intercourse?
  • Do power differentials affect your ability to consent?
  • What does safe sex have to do with consent?
  • Be certain to cover the difference between verbal and non-verbal consent.

Teach them to know what verbal consent sounds like, as well as how you can ask. They should also know what nonverbal consent looks like. They should understand if that their partner is very quiet, or lying still, that that isn’t the enthusiastic consent they’re looking for, and it’s time to communicate before they keep going.

LESSON: While teens might be learning about issues like birth control, rape, and sexually transmitted infections, they’re lacking knowledge that they both need and crave regarding consent and healthy relationships. This additional knowledge is key to preventing sexual assault and sexual violence.

9.  Converse about pornography.

You are probably cringing from the word Pornography. Our teenagers are mostly on their phones right? You can’t ignore that your teen is very likely exploring pornography in some form.

Without a proper education from parents about what pornography is, how it functions, and its issues, kids can take away misguided messages about sex, relationships, and intimacy. At worse, these beliefs can become harmful to others.

Pornography is not a very realistic portrayal of sex. A lot of porn doesn’t portray women well, and there are a lot of mixed messages about consent. For example, teen girls may compare themselves to the women in porn and feel inferior while boys may fear that they won’t be able to sexually perform like the men in porn

10. Talk about what a healthy sexual relationship looks like.

70 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds wished that they’d received more information from their parents, about the emotional and romantic aspects of relationships, including how to:

  • Have a more mature relationship.
  • Deal with breakups.
  • Avoid getting hurt in a relationship.
  • Begin a relationship.

All of these issues are tied in many ways to understanding consent.

Again, start discussions with your children while consuming media or after you see a good or poor example of a healthy relationship. Ask them how they feel and what they think, and get them to think critically about what it means to be a caring romantic partner and what it means to be cared for.

Remember, I am not giving all this information just so you can avoid assault. It is about creating healthy people who have the tools and skills to have healthy and happy romantic relationships.

Teaching consent is an ongoing conversation

Teaching our kids about consent might seem awkward at first, not only because it involves the subject of sex, but also because the majority of today’s adults didn’t get consent education as kids. However, one of the most rewarding aspects of parenting is our ability to break harmful cycles, create new standards, and improve life for our kids and the next generation.

Even if you have older children and missed out on earlier lessons, it’s never too late to start teaching your kids about the importance of sexual consent.

In this digital age, with the Internet at their fingertips, all the parental controls in the world won’t keep our children from seeking out the answers to any questions they might have about their bodies and sex. It’s natural for them to be curious, but if you start an open conversation with them at a young age, if they know you won’t scold them or tell them that they are too young to think about “those” kinds of things, they will be more likely to come to you for information rather than other sources.

I hope this article will be a good guide in helping you talk about sex with your children. Feel free to ask any questions or give Feedback. We Love It!

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Related Content>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What Is Rape Culture in Kenya??

Skills that Dads Should Teach their 13 year old Daughters in 2020.

Myths About Sexual Assault.

 

Effects of Poverty on Education in Kirinyaga County- Kenya.

 

Juliet Wanja, Doreen Karimi  and Christine Wanjiru are all 15 year old girls who are not sure if they will join High School in 2020 due to lack of school fees. This is a reality for thousands of children in Kenya right now. Currently, the Kenyan primary education is free but still regular school attendance is a challenge mainly due to low family incomes.

For instance, over 1.2 million children of school-going age are out of school and involved in practices such as child labor to supplement family income. There is also a 27% primary school dropout rate related to poverty issues. Imagine having these challenges in primary education. We find that fewer children are enrolled in secondary school, with only about a 40% enrollment rate.

Ending poverty in all of its form everywhere is crucial to achieving sustainable development in the world. We encourage various stakeholders to invest in education of our Beneficiaries because there is a lot to be gained in terms of poverty alleviation since poverty is a challenge to education.

It’s a bit ironic that we are fighting for our children to go to school while at the same time, our poor quality education is another one of the causes of poverty in Kenya. A high number of children are cramped together in classrooms, there are minimal teaching materials and each class has a single teacher.

With a poor teacher to student ratio, children who learn differently end up getting left behind because the teacher does not have a chance to serve each child individually. Those children who are left behind remain enrolled in school until they can catch up, adding to the amount of resources needed, since there is not an even ratio of new students to graduated students.

However, Protect a Girls’ Image Organization believes that education has a direct correlation with income. The higher the level of education, the less likely the person is to fall below poverty line.

Educating girls in particular makes them more likely to take control of decisions relating to fertility, family welfare, health. This means that education is not just a need but a tool to alleviate poverty.

With Donations from well wishers like you in place this shouldn’t be a problem. It seems simple enough – at least on the face of it. Every child in our care between the ages of six and 17 has the right to compulsory education and this cannot happen without your kind donations.

Have you seen our latest Fundraising Campaign for School Fees for our 40 children in our care? Click Here>>>  https://t.co/rFenbUMW4w

 

What is the right to education?

Education is a basic human right for all and is important for everyone to make the most of their lives. Other human rights include the right to freedom from slavery or torture and to a fair trial.

Having an education helps people to access all of their other human rights. Education improves an individual’s chances in life and helps to tackle poverty.

 

Why does it matter?

Education reduces poverty, decreases social inequalities, empowers children and helps each individual reach their full potential.

It also brings significant economic returns for a country and helps societies to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development. Education is key to achieving all other human rights.

Education that targets poor populations like where our children live will bring change to many of the systemic factors that have contributed to the delay in poor communities’ development. Education can prevent the transmission of poverty between generations. Education also has documented effect on health, nutrition, economic development and on environmental protection (UNESCO 2104: Sustainable development begins with education).

Our goal in 2020 is to make sure all our children are enrolled in school with all the supplies which include ( school fees, a school bag, books, and writing materials)

Despite great progress we have made this year, 12 out of our 40 children are still not enrolled in school.

Would you like to help one of these children to be enrolled in school? We will be so grateful if you Give trough this link>>>>>>  https://t.co/rFenbUMW4w

 

 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD INVEST IN A CHILD’S EDUCATION.

Investing in Education yields significant development benefits.

Education reduces poverty, boosts economic growth and increases income. It increases a person’s chances of having a healthy life, reduces maternal deaths, and combats diseases such as HIV and AIDS. Education can promote gender equality, reduce child marriage, and promote peace. In sum, education is one of the most important investments a country can make in its people and its future.

Education is essential to the success of every one of the 17 global goals.

Formally adopted at the UN General Assembly in September 2015, the Global Goals for Sustainable Development frame the global development agenda for 2016-2030. The Global Goal 4 on education aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

Education is Critical during times of conflict.

In times of conflict and crisis, children are forced out of school, which contributes to higher drop-out rates and lower completion rates. Having a strong focus on education in these countries is critical, since education promotes stability, good governance, and peace. It can also provide a visible sign of a return to normalcy for children.

A Poor quality education is almost like no education.

Great progress has been achieved in enrolling children in school around the world. But it’s not enough to get children in school, we also need to ensure that they learn to read, count, and acquire the necessary life skills. A special focus has to be given to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups (including children living in fragile and conflict affected areas, children with disabilities and girls) who are most likely to be affected because of a lack of well-trained  teachers, inadequate learning materials, and unsuitable education infrastructure.

Achieving the Global Goal for education by 2030 cost US $1.25 a day per child in Developing countries.

It costs on average US $1.25  a day per child in developing countries (low and lower-middle income) to provide a full cycle of pre-primary through secondary education (13 years). The largest share of this cost, 88%, is borne by the developing countries themselves. The international community should help in filling the funding gap of just 15 cents a day per child.

Education has a multiplier effect.

Educated girls and women tend to be healthier, have fewer children, earn more income and provide better health care for themselves and their future children. These benefits also are transmitted from generation to generation and across communities at large, making girls’ education one of the best investments a country can make.

Children with disabilities are often excluded from education systems.

In many countries, a combination of discrimination, social attitudes, poverty, lack of political will, and poor quality of human and material resources leave children with disabilities more vulnerable to being excluded from education. It is essential that societies adapt their education systems to ensure that these children can enjoy their basic human right without discrimination of any kind.

Early childhood education is vital to lifelong success.

Investing in quality early childhood education brings the highest returns from individuals, societies and countries. Children who have access to quality early childhood programs do better in primary school and will have better education outcomes later. It is vital that low and lower middle-income countries invest more in affordable early childhood programs.

Read More: Operation: Help Send our 17 boys and 23 girls back to School in 2020.

Skills that Fathers should teach their 13 year old Daughters in 2020.

Top 7 things you need to teach your child about sex and consent.

Being a parent is compiled of so many firsts and big moments you look forward to with your children. One of them most parents do not look forward to is Sex Education. Most parents find this conversation very uncomfortable. Let’s face it, my generation really didn’t get much talks as our parent’s generation did not talk about Sex at all!! But in this generation, I am surprised that 10 year olds know about Sex and it’s not from our parents, but from the internet, movies and magazines.

Why don’t Victims of Sexual Assault come forward sooner?

 

WHY DON’T VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT COME FORWARD SOONER?

 

Reasons why sexual assault survivors don't come forward sooner.

Sexual assault survivors don’t come forward sooner due to shame, guilt, denial, and fear of the consequences that might follow them.

It is very common for victims of sexual assault to not disclose their trauma as soon as it happens that is if they ever do. But since everybody in the world is continually confused by why women don’t come forward, I offer some information based on the psychology of abuse to help answer this question.

To make sure we are all in the same page, when I talk about Sexual harassment and behaviors, I include cat calling, inappropriate touching, invasion of privacy, sexual jokes, sexual bribery, and coercion just to mention a few.

Below I have listed the most significant reasons why women do not come forward more often or delay in coming forward.

  • Shame

One of the primary reasons women don’t come forward to report sexual harassment or assault is shame. Sexual abuse, by its very nature, is humiliating and dehumanizing. The victim feels invaded and defiled, while simultaneously feeling the indignity of being helpless and at the mercy of another person.

Shame is a feeling deep within us of being exposed and unworthy. When we feel ashamed, we want to hide. We hang our heads, stoop our shoulders, and curve inward as if trying to make ourselves invisible. Most people who have been deeply shamed take on the underlying and pervasive belief that they are broken, unworthy and unlovable.

Victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault in adulthood or sexual abuse in childhood tend to feel shame, because as human beings, we want to believe that we have control over what happens to us. When that personal power is challenged by a victimization of any kind, we feel humiliated. We believe we should have been able to defend ourselves. And because we weren’t able to do so, we feel helpless and powerless. This powerlessness causes humiliation  which leads to shame.

  • Denial, Minimization

Many women refuse to believe that the treatment they endured was actually abusive. They downplay how much they have been harmed by sexual harassment and even sexual assault. They convince themselves that “it wasn’t a big deal.” I know a lot of women who were brutally raped, and I have friends who were sexually abused in childhood. So when a scenario of a girl being sexually harassed by her boss arose, she said that it was nothing compared to what these women went through. She tells herself to just move on and forget the whole thing.

Other women are good at making excuses for their abusers. I have often heard victims of sexual harassment say things like “I felt sorry for him,” or “I figured he wasn’t getting enough sex at home,” or even “I knew he couldn’t help himself.”

And finally, women convince themselves that they are the only victim of a sexual harasser or abuser. It is often only after other women step forward to say that they were abused by a perpetrator that a victim may realize that they are dealing with a serial abuser.

  • Fear of the Consequences

Fear of the repercussions is a huge obstacle women face when it comes to reporting sexual harassment or assault. The fear of losing their job, fear they won’t find another job, fear they will be failed in school, fear of being blamed, fear of being branded a victim, fear of being blackballed by people, fear of their physical safety. This is so true.

Many don’t disclose, because they fear they won’t be believed, and until very recently, that has primarily been the case. The fact that sexual misconduct is the most under-reported crime is due to a common belief that women make up these stories for attention or to get back at a man who rejected them. Victims’ accounts are often scrutinized to the point of exhaustion. Victims are often labeled opportunists, blamed for their own victimization, and punished for coming forward.

  • Low Self-Esteem

Some victims have such low self-esteem that they don’t consider what happened to them to be very serious. They don’t value or respect their own bodies or their own integrity, so if someone violates them, they downplay it. Sexual violations wound a woman’s self-esteem, self-concept, and sense of self. The more a girl or woman puts up with, the more her self-image becomes distorted. Little by little, acts of disrespect, objectification, and shaming whittle away at her self-esteem until she has little regard for herself and her feelings. There is a huge price to pay for “going along” with sexual exploitation. A woman doesn’t just give away her body; she gives away her integrity.

Even the most confident girl cannot sustain her sense of confidence if she is sexually violated. She feels so much shame that it is difficult to hold her head up high. She finds it difficult to have the motivation to continue on her path, whether it be college or a career.

  • Feelings of Hopelessness and Helplessness

Research has shown us that victims who cannot see a way out of an abusive situation soon develop a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, and this in turn contributes to them giving up and not trying to escape or seek help. Specifically, learned helplessness is a condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed and considered to be one of the underlying causes of depression. A concept originally developed by the research of psychologist and Steven D. Meier, learned helplessness is a phenomenon that says when people feel like they have no control over what happens, they tend to simply give up and accept their fate.

Women feel it is useless to come forward, because they have seen the way others have been treated. They feel it is hopeless, because they won’t be believed, and their reputations will be tainted, if not ruined. Women who have already been sexually assaulted or harassed feel especially helpless, since the chances are extremely high that they did not receive the justice they so desperately needed. These fears can cause women to think there is nowhere to turn, to feel trapped and even hopeless.

  • A History of Being Sexually Violated

Women who have already been traumatized by child sexual abuse or by sexual assault as an adult are far less likely to speak out about sexual harassment at work or at school. Research shows that survivors of previous abuse and assault are at a higher risk of being sexually assaulted again. For example, research shows that 38 percent of college-aged women who have been sexually violated had first been victimized prior to college.

Those who experienced previous abuse will likely respond to overtures of sexual harassment much differently than women who have not been abused. A friend shared with me that she freezes every time a guy makes a sexual advance towards her hoping he will just walk away. This “freezing reaction” is a common one for those who were sexually abused in childhood. And as was mentioned above, those who have previously been victimized are more likely to keep quiet about the abuse, since they may have already had the experience of not being believed and not receiving justice.

  • Disbelief, Dissociated, or Drugged

Finally, sometimes women don’t report sexual harassment or assault, because at the time of the abuse they were drugged, inebriated, or dissociated. Others may have been so drunk before the assault that they doubt their memories, and as we know, some are so traumatized that they dissociated during the attack and have only vague memories. It usually takes one woman coming forward before a woman is able to trust her own memories of the experience. Unless other women come forward to make a complaint about someone, most will continue doubting themselves and assuming they will be doubted if they report.

It is understandable that women have a difficult time coming forward for a number of reasons. These women deserve our recognition about how difficult it is and our compassion for what they have been through. Women need to be encouraged to begin to push away their internalized shame with anger and to learn how to give the shame back to their abusers.

Instead of focusing so much energy on trying to figure out why victims don’t report, it would be far more productive to ask, “Why do we allow men to continue to sexually harass and assault women?” Perhaps even more important, we need to stop asking why victims wait to report and instead focus on how we can better support victims in their quest for justice and healing.

 

HIV/AIDS in Kirinyaga County

Like any other county in Kenya, Kirinyaga county continues to face many challenges as a result of HIV and AIDS. HIV/AIDS prevalence among the people of Kirinyaga County is 3.3 % compared to the national average. Most of those affected are women and young persons aged between 15 to 24 years of age.  AIDS-related mortality has resulted in an increasing number of widows, widowers and orphans. Young students drop out of school owing to the stigma and discrimination. The virus is being fueled by mainly sexuality among teenagers, economic vulnerabilities especially among women and youth, alcohol and substance abuse among others.

According to the Kenya AIDS Strategic Framework, the priority population for HIV in Kirinyaga county are as follows:

  • Female Sex Workers especially in the urban centres. Most of the women who are sex workers are employed or work in farms but often engage in sex work to boost their income. Due to stigma, most pose as customers in clubs while others engage in the vice in towns away from where they live. Their clients cut across the sector but most are those living away from their spouses like police, civil servants, truck drivers and business people.
  • Men who have sex with men are a group of the population that exists in Kirinyaga county. They are however not public due to the stigma. PGIO has identified a clinic in Mwea Town that caters for this group only. It floods with clients but especially at night.
  • People who inject drugs are another group which has risen due to the increased usage of drugs in the county mostly happening in schools and universities. There have been reports of persons injecting drugs.
  • People with disabilities in this county are also likely to be infected with the virus since they are unable to protect themselves from rape or sexual exploitation. They also lack access to HIV information.

Women are at a higher risk of being infected with HIV during sexual contact than men are. This is because the fragile tissues of the vagina can tear slightly during sex and let the virus enter the body. This is most likely among girls under the age of 18. Women who have HIV can pass the infection to their children during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. PGIO create awareness and educate women in Kirinyaga county to take the necessary steps to protect their children from infection.

PGIO is looking for Doors and well-wishers to help the organization to form units to address and mitigate the raging negative effect of the HIV epidemic. If you wish to help with regard to this issue please scroll down to the DONATE button or email us on info@protectagirlsimage.org . Every Dollar/ Shilling Counts.

By Caroline Wangechi.

Case Study: Meet Marion, a PGIO Beneficiary

Meet Marion Wikale, a form One student In Nile Road Day Secondary School in Jericho, Makadara District. Nile Road Secondary School was not her dream high School but a school she found herself in due to unavoidable circumstances. She had first been admitted to A few months before Marion had to join High School, she had to deal with the emotional stress of her father who she really idolized leaving their family for another woman. Her mother, Teresiah Waruguru had to step up as the sole breadwinner. Marion could not join the School she had been accepted to despite her good grades. Like any other firstborn, she was worried about her mother’s emotional state, being unemployed and her capabilities of providing for the family, let alone pay for a Boarding School. Marion, therefore, settled to attend a Day School near home since it was cheaper and she could look out for her mother. The School is way below her potential since she is very bright and proactive.

Teresiah Waruguru, Marion’s mother was abandoned by her husband ( a Doctor)just when Marion was about to join High School. Teresiah is a high school drop-out and so it has been difficult for her to land a job with a stable income so she has resorted to doing casual jobs like doing laundry, vending food like chapattis and mandazis, and any other casual job she can do just to put food on the table. She is therefore incapable of paying school fees for her two daughters Marion and Angela who is still at Middle School.

Protect Girls Image has provided psychosocial support for the family especially Marion who has really been affected by her Father’s absence and the drastic change in the quality of life. She fell into Depression, had self-esteem issues and was isolating herself. One of our counselors had sessions with her for therapy every week where she learned to cope and be positive despite her circumstances.

71% of High School Drop Outs come from Fatherless homes. It is no guarantee that children with involved Dads won’t struggle in school. However, when the Dad is not in the picture, the feeling of abandonment leaves a child unable to trust and leads to behavioral issues, depression, likely to be sexually active at a young age and likely to abuse drugs.

As much as the psychosocial support she has received from PGIO has helped, she still is suffering due to lack of school fees. She misses her classes a lot after being sent home and catching up becomes difficult. Marion needs stability in her education since she is very bright and would like to help her family and society after becoming a successful Engineer.

If you would like to help in any way with Marion’s case, please scroll down to the Donate Button or Contact the Organization through info@protectagirlsimage.org . Every Dollar/ Shilling Counts.