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Samburu: The Fight against Child Marriage

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BBC World News - Samburu: The Fight against Child Marriage

The BBC's Lisa-Marie Misztak investigates child marriage in Kenya's Samburu community.

In Kenya's Samburu community, child marriage and FGM are common, yet both are illegal in Kenya and children are supposed to be in school. The BBC's Lisa-Marie Misztak investigates.

In Kenya's Samburu community child marriage is rampant. Most girls are married off between the ages of nine and fifteen years old, often to men many times their age. The girls also undergo FGM - female genital mutilation - usually immediately before the wedding. Child marriage and FGM are illegal in Kenya, and children are supposed to be in school. Dr Josephine Kulea, a Samburu woman, is determined to change this, and to see the Kenyan law enforced. Josephine established the Samburu Girls Foundation which has provided sanctuary to hundreds of girls fleeing marriages they do not want.

The BBC's Lisa-Marie Misztak hears the harrowing experiences of Samburu girls and meets some of the lucky ones who are achieving great things in school. Girls who had little or no education a couple of years ago are now able to dream of becoming doctors and engineers. Lisa-Marie also seeks to understand why the harmful cultural practice of child marriage persists and why its proving difficult to eradicate.

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Samburu: The Fight against Child Marriage

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