This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
Priscillah Nasieku's life took a dramatic turn in 2016 when she was rescued from being married off at the age of 14. Today, she is the first girl from her village to join university.
Had her parents had their way, Nasieku would have been a wife and mother by now. But thanks to the intervention of a local priest, she was able to pursue her education and scored a B- in her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam last year.
Now, at almost 19 years old, Nasieku is set to join the Kenya Medical Training College, where she hopes to improve the healthcare of her community, especially her village of Ndonyo Wasin in Samburu East.
Her journey began when she scored 333 marks in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam in 2016. However, her parents were in a dilemma as they couldn't afford to send her to secondary school. They even considered marrying her off, but a local priest intervened and took her to the Samburu Girls Foundation, which provided her with an education.
Fr Jonathan Namona, the priest who intervened, said Nasieku had proved that nothing is impossible. 'Having a girl like Nasieku shows other children that everything is possible in life,' he said.
Nasieku's story is a testament to the importance of education, especially for girls in rural areas. Her parents, Jackson and Rose Lenore, have come to realize the value of education and are grateful to the priest who intervened.
Meanwhile, in Narok County, two girls were rescued from early marriage as schools re-opened for the first term session. The girls, aged 16 and 17, were married off by their parents during the December holidays but were rescued after they failed to report back to school.
