DO MY LIFE WORTH A COW

A cry is heard from the great savannas of the masai land. A yelling heart of a little ambitious girl. A cry of little girl crying for justice, crying for gender equality, crying for her lose values ,the girl is crying for her unseen dreams unknown future .am craving for education but my father buried off my dreams for a cow  .do my life worth a cow?

I have grown up where no hope for the future, every man always fill with sadness whenever it is pronounced a girl has been born. All that my father saw in me was useless baby that will grow to be married .am longing for bright future but my hopes are shuttered down for a cow do my life worth a cow?

Every morning I wake up at the midnight to calm a hundreds cattle’s of my father and prepare my brothers to go to school. And ask myself will the sun ever rises with the hopes for a bright future. I looking at them going to school and admire there uniform and there bags and ask myself but why  only me staying at moment ,but for years the question went unanswered.do my life worth cow?

Oooooh little girl you own nothing at your parent home your just being prepared to be a little mother married to a man who is 20 years older than you. The work of my mother was to teach me home chores and telling me of how l will be a good wife to that old for nothing man .do mother really know the pain she is causing me but she was forced to do this to me .do my life worth a cow?

Grown up in a community where women has no say, where women cannot make decision, women cannot be listen, no chances to women at all. my work is to milk and help mother to build manyatta and go to graze my father’s livestock and coming back home in the evening oooops this has become my lifestyle, really? All that my father saw in me is how he will gain that wealth .do my life worth a cow?

Time is moving and years are passing and the little girl is growing very fast at my 12 father call mother to his separate manyatta. I run and hide behind the manyatta to listen to what father will tell my mother and my Father says” my girl has grown up now I can see the responsibilities she can play at her home now organized women so that we can circumcised her before I call the man who will marry her”

My heart was teared down and tears roll down my cheeks I could not control myself I went back to the manyatta I cried the whole night questions running all through my mind.

Why is father doing this to me?
Why is mother supporting father?
Where will help came from?
Has father hated her little girl so much that he does not want to see her anymore in his compound?

But I had no one to give me the answer wake up as usual and do my work

That morning it was a sunny morning I saw a group of women coming towards our home I knew what they’re coming to do I went to hide in one of the manyattas .but in a community where it only father who can make decision I had know otherwise .I decided to face my father boldly

Dear father
Why are you doing this to me? , do my life worth a cow?
Give me a chance to go to school and I will prove you that women can also be great people
Give that chance and l will bring development to this home

Father when you educate me you will enjoy the sweetest fruits of education, you will be the rich man in the village.

My life cannot be compared with cows you will get as a dowry .just educate a girl and you will have educated the whole nation

Written by Faith Katita Supeet