Kenyan honoured for raising funds

A Kenyan woman who is raising $1 million (Sh62 million) to build a girls’ boarding school in her village was honoured by US First Lady Laura Bush at a Washington gala.

Vital Voices Global Partnership, an NGO dedicated to empowering women around the world, bestowed its Rising Voices Award on Kakenya Ntaiya from Enoosaen in Trans Mara District.

The prize is given to “women to look out for in the future,” Ms Ntaiya explained.

“I feel very humbled, excited and blessed to be recognised in this way,” she said in an interview.

Senator Hillary Clinton and actress Angelina Jolie also attended the ceremony at the Kennedy Centre on Monday night.

Ms Ntaiya, 29, plans to return home this summer from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, where she is working towards a PhD in Education.

She said she will seek assistance from the Community Development Fund and international foundations in Nairobi for her school project, for which she has so far raised $100,000 (Sh6.2 million) in the US.

“I want the school to be a place where girls can be empowered, can be told about female genital mutilation and the consequences of being married early,” Ms Ntaiya said in an interview prior to receiving her award.

Ms Ntaiya herself was engaged at age five and underwent female circumcision a few years later. She persuaded her father to allow her to finish secondary school.

She then won approval from Enoosaen elders to attend university in the United States, with the entire village helping to pay for her journey. Ms Ntaiya had pledged to use her education to benefit Enoosaen.

Rural Kenya

She views the school she hopes to build as a potential model that could be adopted throughout rural Kenya.

Maasai girls do not always receive equal attention in co-educational schools because “the teachers know the girls will soon be married off anyway,” Ms Ntaiya noted.

lifted from Washington post

Swedish Film Premier Of Kenyan Producer In Stockholm

Swedish Film Premier Of Kenyan Producer In Stockholm

Special invitation to the film:

MAGGIE WAKES UP AT THE BALCONY

A Film by Ester Bergsmark and Mark Hammarberg in collaboration with Beatrice Maggie Andersson from Kenya.

-Entrance for two guests at only 100 kr!
-Observe that the offer is only valid between 14-18 April
-Provide the code: Silverosa Film at the reception

Maggie always matches a beret with high-heeled shoes and loves gold. She lives at the fifth floor at a suburb in Malmö. At her balcony is to be found what remains of her past. Under a golf bag besides a travel ticket from 1999 rests a dove she killed when she could not sleep. In the film “Maggie Wakes Up at the balcony” are we able to see everyday life in Sweden from Maggie’s camera lens. The standout appearence is that of a land filled absurdities and longing. Ambrellas, poodles which have gone on pension, potential rapists, sweet rowanberries as tomatoes.

The film enters its premier in Sweden on Friday 11th april 2008.
Filmen har Sverigepremiär fredag den 11 april 2008 at the following cities and film houses:

Stockholm – Zita och Victoria; Address: Birgerjarlsgatan 37: Kick-off: 18.30.

OBS: You have to book your seat by sending mail to: kristin@folketsbio.se. Availability of seats are limitted so book in good time (Deadline. 9th April). After the film, there will be a gathering at Morfar Ginko at Swedenborgsgatan 13.

The film will also show at the following venues: Check for dates with folketsbio!
Göteborg – Hagabion
Malmö – Panora
Lund – Kino
Västerås – Elektra
Umeå -  Folkets Bio

Further information: www.maggiefilmen.se

Welcome.

DOWNLOAD FLIER HERE (PDF)

Lifted from KSB,

Link http://kenyastockholm.wordpress.com

Quote of the day

You do not want to get into a  wrestling ,match with a pig.

“You both get dirty and the pig likes it”

Onyango Okeyo