Blog Post 13

A girl who demanded school Kekenya Ntaiya
by Meagan Freeman

        Kakenya had to start preparing to become the perfect wife at just age 12. She had an arranged marriage. Kakenya woke up at 5am every morning milking cows, sweeping, cooking, and collecting firewood. Kakenya went to school and had a dream of becoming a teacher; she admired them and their lives. Kakenya had a problem: Once she reaches eighth grade she will go through a ceremony to become a woman, which means she will become a wife. Once Kakenya is a wife her dream of being a teacher cannot come true. She needed a plan. Kakenya told her father she would only attend the ceremony if he would let her go back to school. He agreed, but she did not know the circumstances. He made her get a female circumcision during her ceremony.

        Kekenya was healed after three weeks and back in High School. This event made her even more determined. She met a “well dressed” man while in high school, he was from the University of Oregon. Keyenya was accepted to Randolph Women's College, she needed support of the village for travel money. The village came together and Kekenya made it to America. As she was in school, Kekenya learned that abuse, female mutilation, and other things she had witnessed in Kenya were illegal. This infuriated her and she had to do something. Kekenya spoke to the village and wanted to give back, and the woman said they wanted a village for girls, to keep them safe. The village donated land, and a school for girls was built. Keyenya began to show before and after pictures of students, once they started school. The girls look so much happier. The girls now how many opportunities. 125 will never be mutilated, 125 girls will not be married at the age of 12, 125 girls are able to achieve their dreams because of the revolution that has been started in their community. “Be the first, because people will follow you. Be bold, stand up, be fearless, be confident”

        Overall, this video showed me that all dreams are possible. Kekenya did what no other girls in her village do, she went to college. Kekenya made a huge change. She believed in herself and wonderful things happened. Kekenya knew that going back to school would be going against the grain but she tried anyways, and she succeeded. I am amazed by her strength. She had hardships along the way but they made her stronger. Her determination made her educated about illegal things happening in her village. Through that information, she was able to help. Kekenya is saving hundreds of lives, just because one girl wanted to go to school. Education should never be underestimated.


To This Day... for the bullied and beautiful
By: Linda Check

         The video I watched this week was a poem by Shane Koyczan called, To This Day... for the bullied and beautiful . This video took my breath away. Everyone, especially teachers, should have to watch this magnificent piece. Koyczan talks about how we are told to stand up for ourselves, but how hard that is to do if you do not know who you are. He says that we are expected to define ourselves at an early age, and if we do not, others do. Kids are labeled as freaks, fatties, fags, and as kids are being told what they are, they are asked what they want to be. As kids dream big and say they want to be a writer or wrestler, the teachers they look up to are calling their ideas “stupid” or “unrealistic”. Teachers make students feel that they need to accept the identity others have given to them.

         Teachers also tend to ignore bullying and say, “Well, kids can be cruel.” This leads to the making of bullies. Koyczan became what he hated most, a bully. He had to, though, just to survive. The first line of poetry he wrote is very powerful. It is, “I will love myself despite the ease with which I lean toward the opposite.” He says that standing up for yourself does not have to mean embracing violence. I loved this, because I think it is 100% true.

         The last thing that Koyczan mentioned was the “sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you” saying. He said this was completely a lie. Being called names is the most hurtful thing a child can experience. A broken bone will heal, but being bullied will follow someone for the rest of his or her life. People that say names will never hurt them, are lying to themselves.

         I have taken away so much from this video. As a future educator, I cannot sit back and let bullying happen. I cannot say “Well, kids will be kids,” because that would be taking an easy way out of doing my actual job. I am especially worried about my students getting bullied in the future, because I want to be a special education teacher. Many typical students have never been around kids with disabilities, so I think I will have to work extra hard to make others understand that everyone is unique and beautiful. Once again, everybody should watch To This Day... for the bullied and beautiful . It is beautiful, moving, and a huge inspiration!