Tasaru Girls' Rescue Centre

The Tasaru Girls' Refuge is a safe house in Nakuru just under 100 miles west of Nairobi in mostly Massai territory where 95% of the women are circumcised and have early arranged marriages. It offers a safe haven for girls escaping to create another future for themselves. The girls are given counselling, education and information on alternatives. It currently has facility for 48 girls.

Agnes Pareyio, founder of the Tasaru Girls' Refuge was born into a typical Massai village and lived with her family in a mud hut. Circumsised against her better judgement when she was 14 she later dedicated her life to helping other girls not have to go through the same trauma.

Agnes works so that the girls can say: “This is my life." Agnes says: "They need to understand that they have a right to live and to choose what they want to do and to understand that the world will be theirs tomorrow. There is so much expected of them, but they need to be able to choose for themselves and be proud of who they are.”

Volunteer Christopher Oloishuroh Murray:

"In my experience I am faced with challenges ranging from retrogressive cultural practices to a man decision making dominated society that opress a woman denying her all privileges and rights. My vision has always been to empower the woman through the provision of quality education and financial empowerment. I believe that if a woman is educated she can get a good career which can earn her a good salary and at the end of the day she can stand up and say "No!" to  those oppressive issues.
 
"The society I am living in considers a woman as a lesser person. It also considers a girl child born into the family as a source of income, and that's why they circumcise them at the age of nine, and marry them off immediately in exchange for cows as a form of dowry. If this community could be educated fully to appreciate the fact that educating a girl child is educating a whole nation, then I believe they will change, though it will take time."

Feminenza organises fund raising events to help the girls make choices for themselves about what they want for their lives. Rather than be forced into circumcision and early marriage they can receive an education.

Should you wish to donate to help these girls please click this button ...

To send a girl to Primary school for a year, it costs KShs.9,000/= (£65) and to Secondary School KShs.36,000/= (£257). For the upkeep of one girl at the centre it costs KShs.6,000 per month (£43).

Feminenza was delighted to send £250 from funds raised over Christmas 2004. It amounted to 35,000KShs - basically a year at Secondary school for one girl.

In response Chris Oloishuroh Murray wrote:

“I am glad to note your kind assistance to Tasaru through the fundraising you did on behalf of Feminenza. This money will be used to support one or two girls for school fees.
Thank you.
Chris”

Tasaru girls with members of the Feminenza team

Return to Projects front page

Top

in the encouragement of every woman's future,
working towards a greater mutuality between the genders