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After forced marriage, Agnes unsuc-cessfully tried to escape from the marriage. The desire to attain for-mal education did not wane. She still yearned to go back to school and ex-cel but her fate was sealed.

Miraculously though, a community activist tried to rescue her and took to the police station for assistance. These efforts were an exercise in futility as police officer was not well conversant with gender based vio-lence issues.

Fit for MarriageThis made it easy for her parents and some community elders to find her. They ensured that she was taken through fe-male genital mutilation and returned her to her marital home.

Agnes tried to resist it. She told them about her desire to pursue education but her words fell on deaf ears. To them, she was far too ripe for marriage and needed to undergo the rite to make her fit in her marital home.

Agnes Kongu, 45 years of age was only 12 when she was married off to an old man in Narok County un-der the traditional Maasai culture. Her dreams for a brighter future seemed to have been shattered.

Agnes desired to pursue education but all that the entrenched culture of early marriages in her commu-nity offered at puberty was an old man for a husband.

Free at lastShe later managed to get away – but at a cost. The com-munity regarded her as an outcast. However, Agnes can-not hide her joy.

Now 45 and a successful health worker, she is assisting other girls from her Maasai community to overcome challenges facing them which include female genital mu-tilation and early marriages.

Lack of education has not limited her desire for success: “If I was educated I would be very far today,” she says. “But since I did not get that opportunity I have commit-ted myself to fighting for the rights of women and girls in my community.”

Early Marriage Victim Turns Into a Women Rights Defender

“I have commit-ted myself to fight-ing for the rights of women and girls in my commu-nity.”

- Agnes Kongu

By Silvano Assanga Ateka