Beyenech’s Story
16 year old Beyenech Bekele lives in one of our target areas called Miride kebele. She managed to pass from 7th to 8th grade with outstanding and remarkable academic achievement. According to Beyenech, KMG’s projects played a major role in her success by providing tutorial classes, reference books, and educational materials such as pens, pencils and exercise books.
Since she began participating in KMG’s Community Conversation (CC) sessions, she has gotten adequate information about the negative side effects and complications that arise from FGM. In due course, she decided not to undergo FGM. Since she became a CC participant, she gained knowledge and greater awareness of the damaging consequences of FGM and other harmful cultural practices. She began to teach and advise her female peers about FGM and the value of girls’ education. So far, Beyenech has taught and saved more than 15 young girls from FGM, and has linked them to CC facilitators to give them access to more information about these practices.
Previously, Beyenech’s father repeatedly forced her to drop out of school, so she could marry someone and he could gain money from her dowry. She wrote a letter to the KMG Ethiopia office looking for help, in order to continue her education. Eventually, with the support of KMG Ethiopia, Beyenech was able to convince her father to participate in a CC session. Now, after understanding the value of a girls’ education, he encourages his daughter, and gives her the psychological support she needs to continue her studies.
Although things are looking up in Beyenech’s life, her future is still uncertain. Next year, she will be a 9th grade student, but there is no high school in her village. The nearest high school is 15km away from her home, a challenge aggravated by her family’s serious economic issues; both factors threaten the continuation of Beyenech’s education.
In our discussion with Beyenech, we raised this issue. Her answer reflects her moral strength and unbeaten character:
”…even though the distance of the high school from my village is too difficult to travel every day, and my father doesn’t have the economic capacity to rent a house for me in town or cover my living expenses, I have a plan to continue my education by supporting myself, working as a servant or babysitter in the town. I want to be a doctor and save people’s lives.”
