Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05NAIROBI1591
2005-04-14 13:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:  

CJTF-HOA BRINGS EDUCATION TO DISADVANTAGED MUSLIM

Tags:  EAID ECON PREL PTER PHUM SOCI KGHA KISL KPAO MOPS KE 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NAIROBI 001591 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/EPS, AND AF/PD

DEPT PASS USAID FOR AFR/EA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PREL PTER PHUM SOCI KGHA KISL KPAO MOPS KE
SUBJECT: CJTF-HOA BRINGS EDUCATION TO DISADVANTAGED MUSLIM
GIRLS

REF: Nairobi 001072

Sensitive-But-Unclassified. Not for release outside USG
channels.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NAIROBI 001591

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/EPS, AND AF/PD

DEPT PASS USAID FOR AFR/EA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PREL PTER PHUM SOCI KGHA KISL KPAO MOPS KE
SUBJECT: CJTF-HOA BRINGS EDUCATION TO DISADVANTAGED MUSLIM
GIRLS

REF: Nairobi 001072

Sensitive-But-Unclassified. Not for release outside USG
channels.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On April 6, DCM, accompanied by COL Wendy
Fontela, Political Advisor, CJTF-HOA, dedicated the new
girls' secondary school in Bute, Wajir North constituency,
in Kenya's under-developed and almost exclusively Muslim
Northeastern Province. This school was the local MP and
the community leaders' top priority, despite the other
obvious development needs. At approximately USD 250,000
the school is the largest CJTF-HOA Civil Affairs (CA)
project to date in Kenya. Historically, few girls in Wajir
are educated and only a handful has ever attended secondary
school. Approximately 500 community members observed the
dedication ceremony. Presentations by local students
included a dramatic presentation of a family debate on
allowing girls to go to school and also songs thanking
America and the U.S. Military (and praising the Kibaki
administration despite the fact that Bute and all of North
Eastern Province are opposition strongholds). Interacting
with the DCM and COL Fontela, (likely the only foreign
women and among the few professional women they have ever
spent time with) the girl students quickly opened up with
questions about life outside of Wajir and enthusiasm for
pursuing dreams of professional careers. The Bute Girls'
Secondary School is an example of a CJTF-HOA CA program
contributing to a number of Mission priorities on Muslim
outreach, support for girls' education, and enhancing
Kenya's internal security. We are offering important
development assistance in a region much neglected by the
GOK. At the same time, such projects need to set the stage
for longer-term interaction with these communities and
avoid becoming political currency for local politicians.
END SUMMARY.

--------------
THE PRIORITY OF GIRLS' EDUCATION
--------------


2. (U) On April 6, DCM, Ms. Leslie Rowe, accompanied by COL
Wendy Fontela, Political Advisor, CJTF-HOA, dedicated the
new girls' secondary school in Bute, Wajir North
constituency, in Kenya's under-developed and almost
exclusively Muslim Northeastern Province. Bute is in a
primarily Somali ethnic area in northern Wajir that has a
long history of violent tribal clashes. The community has
tribal connections to both Ethiopia and Somalia. (See
Reftel for additional background on Wajir's economic
disadvantage.) At approximately USD 250,000, the school is
the largest CJTF-HOA Civil Affairs (CA) project to date in
Kenya. The Bute community turned out in force for the
ceremony. The students from the school were grateful and
excited about the opportunity to continue their education.
Currently, fifteen girls from Bute and fifteen from other
areas have already begun their studies as the first class,
holding their sessions in a classroom at a local primary
school. In May, when the school year recommences and the
Bute Girls' Secondary School officially opens, the class
will total 45, the maximum capacity for one class, about
half of which will come from other parts of Wajir. Forty-
five new students will form entry classes in each of the
coming three years. The school's headmaster is already
concerned about the pressures that will come as early as
next fall when he has to refuse entry to deserving girls
due to limited capacity. This is only the third girls'
secondary school in all of Wajir, and only the eighth in
the entire Northeast province. CJTF-HOA CA has supported
all three schools in Wajir and is currently considering
projects at Girls' Schools in Garissa and Mandera West.


3. (SBU) During the CA team's initial visit to Bute in
October, the constituency's Member of Parliament (MP),Dr.
Abdullahi Ali, and the village elders made clear that
creating this school was their number one priority, despite
the other obvious development needs, such as adequate
water, decent roads, communication with the outside world,
secure food supplies, competent health and veterinary care,
and relief from an ever-present threat of ethnic clashes
and raiding from neighboring groups in both Kenya and
Ethiopia. Dr. Ali and the community leaders have
maintained excellent relations with three successive CA
teams and Embassy liaison officer over the past seven
months. Dissenting opinions from the community on building
a girls school, whether out of concerns about losing
traditional roles for girls, or a preference for other
needs, have not been expressed publicly to date. (Although
when asked, both Dr. Ali and other leaders admit that such
opinions do exist.) The contractor for the school was
hired locally, and, by all accounts did a timely and
masterful job, even exceeding the terms of the contract for
building capacity. His extra effort reflects the spirit of
the community and the broad support for this project.

-------------- -
THE DEDICATION - PLEADING FOR GIRLS' EDUCATION
-------------- -


4. (U) The dedication ceremony was a joyous and colorful
occasion with over 500 community members watching,
clapping, and dancing, despite sitting for over an hour in
temperatures in the 90s. Reflecting the conservative tone
of the community, the women and children were divided from
the men and older boys. The senior chief of the village
reminded the gathering that in the past (mostly in the
1970s) USAID had done a number of projects in the area,
including the building of schools, small dams, and other
infrastructure. He "welcomed the U.S. government back to
Bute," and remarked that despite our absence, the people of
Bute have "remained friends with America." The District
Education Officer used the occasion to remind the audience
of Kenya's continuing struggle against gender inequality.


5. (U) The highlight of the dedication (in addition to the
wrapping of DCM and COL Fontela in traditional Somali
cloth),were the performances by local students. The
students from the new school sang songs of welcome and
thanks to the U.S. Army and Marines. They also presented a
moving dramatic piece about a girl's desire for education
despite her "father's" objections -- based on the fear that
the girl would forget her culture, start wearing trousers,
and turn away from her family. An "Advocate" echoed the
girl's pleas, demanding she be allowed to "go to school,
choose what she wants to do, and choose her own partner."
In the end the father saw the light and the girl was
allowed to go to school like her brothers.

-------------- ---
THE U.S. MILITARY IS WELCOME - HOW ABOUT THE MP?
-------------- ---


6. (U) Also during the dedication ceremony, students from
one primary school and the boys secondary school greeted
the DCM and Col Fontela by performing a welcoming song with
the hit line (and apparently new appellation) "We are
Butarians and Butarians are you!" They also presented
individual appeals on the importance of education, the need
for economic assistance, and concerns about security. The
final performance was by Bute's other primary school and it
included the (unintentional) comic relief: a long,
obviously original song with a chorus praising "Kenya's
Rainbow" and verses honoring President Kibaki and a number
of his National Rainbow Coalition ministers, while Hon.
Ali, a staunch supporter of the opposition KANU party (as
is all of Northeastern Province) looked on as the
uncomfortable recipient of chiding and scorn by the Kenyan
officials and elders present.

--------------
THE GIRL STUDENTS - A DOOR HAS OPENED
--------------


7. (SBU) Prior to the forming of the first class in
January, only five girls from Bute were attending secondaryschool, all boarded
outside the constituency. [NOTE: This
initial class conducted their first term at Bute's girls'
primary school, anticipating the May opening of the new
secondary school and not wanting to miss the chance to
complete the school year. END NOTE.] Over the years, the
number of girls from this area that have completed
secondary education is miniscule (community leaders could
not recall an example - especially if a girl had gone away
to school and not returned to the family since she would be
soon "forgotten"). It is unlikely that any girls from
Bute, and perhaps none from all of Wajir district, have
gone to university. Only a handful of boys from Wajir have
qualified for university over the past few years.


8. (SBU) Given the opportunity to lunch with the DCM and
COL Fontela (likely the only foreign women and among the
rare professional women they have ever interacted with),
the girl students quickly overcame their severe shyness and
engaged with the guests of honor with questions about life
outside of Wajir and with obvious enthusiasm for the
opportunity to pursue their dreams. To a girl they wanted
to succeed in school and move on to become doctors,
lawyers, pilots, and businesswomen. Despite the hardship
of their pastoralist lives, these young women (at least by
community standards, most of whom are 15-16 years old and
with cohorts already married),were smart and forward-
looking.

--------------
THE NEW SCHOOL
--------------


9. (SBU) The school infrastructure includes an
administration building and library, four class rooms, a
dormitory, a kitchen and dining hall, two sets of showers,
and eight pit latrine toilets. All furniture and staff
requirements are in place for the school's official opening
in May. A number of other contributors have committed to
the school's completion: Honorable Dr. Ali is dedicating
some of his federally-allotted Constituency Development
Funds to furnish the administrative and staff offices.
Bluebird Aviation, a private air charter company, has
donated 45 beds and mattresses for the first class. They
also made a commitment to donate an additional 45 beds and
mattresses in following years, as the school grows beyond
its initial Form I class. [NOTE: Please protect the firm's
name as it prefers to make this donation anonymously. END
NOTE.] UNICEF has made a commitment to contribute desks
and chairs to the school as it grows beyond its current
capabilities.


10. (SBU) The school has some additional infrastructure
needs, which the CA team is working to address, perhaps in
partnership with another donor. These include the
construction of a high quality fence around the schoolyard
to protect against intruding livestock, wild animals, and,
as the Hon. Dr. Ali noted, "the threat from human male
animals." Until the fence is completed the students will
continue to sleep in a dormitory at the Bute Girls' Primary
School. The other pressing need is for a new water source.
Currently, Bute has no functioning deep boreholes, and all
water is collected manually from shallow wells of
questionable quality. The CA team will assess whether it
is more effective to cooperate on the drilling of a new
borehole at the school site or help rehabilitate an
existing borehole to have the capacity to pipe water to the
new school.

--------------
COMMENT: AN IMPORTANT MISSION OUTREACH
--------------


11. (SBU) The Bute Girls Secondary School is an extremely
worthy project that compliments a number of Mission
priorities on Muslim outreach, support for girls'
education, and enhancing Kenya's internal security.
Because of security and logistic concerns, it could only be
done through the CJTF-HOA CA program. Kenya's North
Eastern Province is much neglected by the central
government, and CA projects make an important contribution
to specific development needs in isolated and needy
communities. These interventions also raise the profile of
the U.S. in the minds of the locals, and provide an
opportunity for positive interaction with military as well
as Embassy personnel.

--------------
COMMENT CONTINUED: IMPACTING LOCAL POLITICS?
--------------


12. (SBU) At the same time, we need to be aware of our
potential impact on a community's balance of power. Hon.
Ali is a frank, enjoyable interlocutor who is very
supportive of the CA teams' efforts and access. He
originally had a sign made for the school that read, "The
U.S. Marines Bute Girls Secondary School," and outfitted
some of the dedication participants in t-shirts extolling
the role of the U.S. military in the project. He is also
quite open about the positive impact the new school can
have on his political standing in the community, despite
having to endure the primary kids' "Rainbow" song. The
pressure for him now is to assure that the school is a
success and that the structures, which should be functional
for thirty years, do not become an empty legacy of a
community's failure to promote equality between girls and
boys. For the Embassy and CJTF-HOA it is important to not
allow these projects to generate excessive political
capital for specific politicians, unduly influencing a
constituency's natural political process. The nature of CA
projects makes this a concern. Projects are selected
through consultations with MPs, District Officers, and
other government officials, unlike the Ambassador's Self
Help program, which solicits project ideas from community-
based organizations. The rapid timeline for CA projects
also encourages the active participation of MPs.


13. (SBU) Despite these considerations, the dedication of
the Bute Girls' Secondary School was an overwhelming
success and excellent proof to ordinary Kenyans of U.S.
interest in helping poor communities. Our delegation,
headed by two women holding positions of prominence in both
protocol and command, undoubtedly impacted this culturally
and religiously conservative community. For the girl
students, anxious to enter the broader world through
learning, and ambitious to pursue a more rewarding future
than their mothers, this was a potentially life-changing
experience. For some in the community, this blast from the
progressive outside world was no doubt troubling, and their
true reaction was likely in line with the "Father's" in the
play. Many parents here will not allow even their
brightest girls to go to school, for some, not even to
primary school. For the wider community to accept and
appreciate the school and the implications of girls'
education it will be important that they witness concrete
benefits to their community and the students' well-being.
For this to happen, we will encourage the long-term
participation of CJTF-HOA to continue these important
projects. We will also look for additional resources and
partners to help us maintain contact, access, and
cooperation with Bute and other disadvantaged areas of
Kenya. END COMMENT.

BELLAMY