Missionary’s bid to transform Kuria and Maasai communities

By Mark Oloo

The low girl-child enrollment and dismal performance in school examinations continue to raise the spectre of apathy towards girls’ education.

In northern Kenya and parts of Nyanza Province, about seven of 10 girls drop out of primary schools during or before their sixth year of study, thanks to oppressive cultural practices.

Campaigns for social equity notwithstanding, women and children in Kuria and Maasai communities face discrimination in cultural, education and health spheres.

In Kuria, however, one man’s efforts seek to bring hope to thousands of disillusioned girls in a community steeped in retrogressive traditions.

Through new tailor-made girl child support programmes, Swedish missionary Curt Johansson is fighting the negative culture and rehabilitating hundreds of girls pulled out of classrooms to be circumcised and/or married off.

Through Maranatha Faith Assemblies, a Pentecostal church he pioneered more than 40 years ago, Johansson has adapted the sporadic successes of religious and public-health programmes to fight Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Low enrollment

He says the anti-FGM fight has improved girl-child enrollment rates by 30 per cent in the last decade in Kuria East and Kuria West districts.

Born in Vetlanda, Sweden in 1943, Johannsson left the comforts of his country and came to Kenya at 26 to begin humanitarian work in Kuria. Since then, he is confronting social problems without fear.

Johansson says they have spent an estimated Sh50 million in girl-child support programmes in the two communities.

Through his stations in Migori and Komotobo in Kuria, the missionary trains local leaders to fight the negative influences of cultures. He sensitises them that girls’ education is important too.

In the past three months, 167 girls sought refuge in rehabilitation centres in Kuria East District as they fled from the circumciser’s knife.

The girls face violations including sexual exploitation, early marriages and the mandatory circumcision, which fan HIV and Aids.

Bad beliefs

Also, at least 15 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 are HIV positive. This compares to only six per cent of infected boys in the same age group. Beliefs that undermine girl-child growth and development are rife here.

But to undo these beliefs and empower women, Johansson has set up a women capacity building project to promote equity in education and social development.

His church has trained 800 women in micro-enterprise, agri-business and environmental conservation through a SIDA-funded tree planting project.

Rev Johansson says the assembly has already sunk in Sh5 billion to sponsor 80 pre-school units, 120 primary schools, five secondary schools, a pre-school teachers training centre, one orphanage and a bible college.

At Komotobo, Maranatha has built a school for the physically challenged. It recently added to it an Early Child teachers’ training college in Kehancha at a cost of more than Sh3 million.

Maranatha’s Public Relations Officer Samuel Ochieng’ says the mission has fought social vices through its 1,500 churches and that figures on the practice are going down.

"We want to discourage the practices by driving child rights campaigns through our 80,000 members in 171 pastorates," Rev Ochieng’ told The Standard.

Acute poverty

Mrs Beatrice Chaacha, a Kuria resident, says poverty is partly to blame for negative practices.

According to Thomas Merengo, the Deputy Mayor of Kehancha Town in Kuria West District, more than 1,000 girls were circumcised last December alone, with nearly all not preferring the operation.

Mr Merengo says FGM has led to high school dropout rates among girls because most are married off soon thereafter, negating their chances for personal development.

Kuria East DC Herman Shambi says it is an uphill task to the Government, and agencies given the deep cultural roots of the practice.

Leaders believe educating the community is a way out of FGM.

Many HIV and Aids orphans are destitute. Maranatha’s orphanages in Kuria and Rapedhi accommodate 2,000 children.

Each is provided with school fees, health care, food and psychosocial support. Also, the church runs an orphanage in Kawangware, Nairobi, to boost education and child survival in the slum.

"When I was a young man, I knew God wanted me to contribute to the welfare of humanity. My inspiration is to see the fruits of my labour during the past 40 years of missionary work," says Rev Johannsson.

The reverend says his family is the driving force behind his work. His family has stood by him, with wife Ingegerd Johansson accompanying him on most missionary trips.

He says his two daughters, Helene and Marie and son Michael have also offered enormous support.

He also runs a school infrastructural support scheme. More than 100 schools including Makasembo, Pala Boya and Manyonge in Migori and Homa-Bay were roofed through the initiative

The church has also sought to end the perennial feuding between the Kuria and Maasai. During post-election violence, Johannsson pitched tent in Migori and Kuria, appealing to rivals to embrace peace.

The church’s current leadership comprises General Overseer John Abisai and Secretary-General Fanuel Nyambuoro.