BY JECKONIA OTIENO
Despite being a teacher trainee from a community where women are mainly supposed to play a subordinate role, Jadin Lesiamito stands head high as the only woman in an influential community student leadership committee.
The final year Education student at Laikipia University College, a constituent college of Egerton University, is the vice-chairperson of Samburu University Students Association (SUSA). She is studying English and Literature in English.
When I caught up with her in Nairobi, no chance was lost to find out more about what it feels like to hold such a post among the Samburu where women have for a long time never had the opportunity to hold meaningful leadership positions.
As she grew up in the dusty streets of Maralal Lesiamito says that she got her inspiration from her parents, who also happen to be teachers – her mother is a teacher while her father is the district education officer in Kitui.
“Having grown up in Maralal town my eyes opened earlier; the situation is a bit more different from rural Samburu where the male dominance culture still holds strong,” Lesiamito notes.
Lesiamito attended primary school in Maralal before making it to Moi Girls High School in Eldoret. She did not make the cut-off for admission into a public university so joined a teachers training college after which she decided to further her education.
“Not making it to the university first time did not deter my spirit because I knew that at one point in time I will be there to do my degree course to the highest I can attain,” says an ever smiling Lesiamito.
Her joining SUSA and ultimately becoming the highest ranking official a lady has ever been in the organisation, she says, was due to the eye-opening she got as a student at Moi Girls School in Eldoret.
She argues that had she not had the chance to interact with other people from other parts of Kenya then she most likely would have ended up with the same kind of thinking which she says has enslaved most women from her home area that they should always be subordinate to men.
“I realised that things could be done differently and my eyes were opened more on the opportunities that girls have.”
SUSA in itself is a unique organisation of university students who are either of Samburu origin or live in Maralal. It has students from universities all over the country - and out of the country as well.
There are eight executive officials in the organisation and only one of them – Lesiamito - is a lady which makes her stand out. She says bagging such a post is not easy bearing in mind that the community is patriarchal in nature.
The young lady admits that it is tough growing up in an area that has no proper road to connect it with the rest of the country, even tougher, she notes is being a woman leader in such an area.
She says it straight that due to school fee problems many girls do not have the opportunity to go to school hence end up in early marriages which most of the times do not stay in long before they get divorced.
She states,
“I thank God I was not given off in marriage early because I can chase my dreams and be what I want to be.”
In her opinion, education is what will change the way of life among the nomad communities if they are to see any meaningful political and social change.
Lesiamito divulges that on many occasions people back in the village ask ladies from colleges and universities their opinion on matters of national interest. They are constantly asked about their outlook on news and politics. This, she says, is a sign that things are changing and it shows a good future in the education of girls.
“They go even as far as asking us how they should vote in the forthcoming elections,” says Lesiamito.
On female genital mutilation, the straight-talking lady reveals that her parents gave her siblings and her freewill to decide whether they wanted to face the knife or not; as the eldest girl, she shunned it and her siblings followed and this has been met with ridicule and shock by many girls she has talked in her home area.
“I visit schools in Maralal to talk to the girls during our campaigns, I tell them I did not face the circumciser’s knife and they burst out laughing because to it is very strange to them – even in this day and age they still believe it has to be done - but I hope this changes soon. Having travelled to other parts of Kenya, it worries me least that people view me funnily at home because of non-compliance to this retrogressive culture which is slowly losing ground.”
She notes that as a leader she seeks to convince fellow girls from her community that FGM is not a morality issue as it has been taken to be.
She laments the fact that people believe it is meant to reduce the sexual urge among girls. Lesiamito questions why after the ritual do men old enough to be grandfathers run after young girls for marriage?
With only one female MP (nominated), Maison Leshomo, she says more women need to stand up and start claiming their rightful position in leadership. Lesiamito wonders why women from Samburu still want to take a backseat.
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