Kakenya ntaiya biography of donald
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Full Profile
Dr Kakenya is an educator, feminist and social activist celebrated around the world. The eldest of eight children, Maasai culture and tradition insisted that Kakenya had one life route, one of early engagement and FGM. She negotiated with her father that if she were to undergo the procedure, that she would be allowed to finish her schooling. Upon finishing high school, she was accepted into Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Virginia, USA. During her studies there, the Washington brev published a four-part series on her journey entitled ‘Kakenya’s Promise’. She would then go on to earn a Doctorate in Education from the University of Pittsburgh.
Kakenya’s Promise was the one that she made to her community when she left it for amerika. Her promise was that if they supported her in her journey, she would komma back and with her newfound knowledge, support her community. After she finished her education, she fulfilled this promise, and returned to her village of Enoos
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Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya is a world-renowned educator and advocate for girls' health and human rights. She has dedicated her life to creating lasting change both in rural communities in Kenya and across Africa.
Engaged at age 5, Dr. Ntaiya experienced female genital mutilation (FGM) as a young teenager in preparation for child marriage. Her life was set to follow the traditional Maasai path of ending school to become a wife and mother, but she had a different dream. She negotiated with her father to return to school after surviving FGM. Dr. Ntaiya finished high school and became the first Maasai woman from her Kenyan community to attend university in the United States. When she was accepted to college, she promised that if her community helped send her to the United States, she would return home to use her education to serve the village. She went on to earn a PhD in education from the University of Pittsburgh and returned to her community to fulfill her promise.
Dr. Ntaiya founded K
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Bold Reasoning with Peter Singer
Kakenya Ntaiya is a globally recognised activist and educator dedicated to empowering girls and women, particularly in rural Kenya. As a child growing up in a Maasai village, Kakenya made a bargain with her father. She would undergo the female genital mutiliation (FGM) customary among her people, if he would allow her to go to high school, instead of getting married as soon as she reached puberty.
After succeeding, not only at high school in Kenya, but getting a degree in the U.S., Kakenya founded Kakenya’s Dream, an organisation focused on ending female genital mutilation and child marriage, while providing access to education, leadership training, and safe spaces for girls.
Below are some highlights from our conversation, lightly edited for clarity. You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred platform.
On Pride in Culture:
Kakenya: "I think there's a sense of pride of just belonging to a co