Natalie

Natalie’s Story

Natalie hopes to become an environmental education officer so she can educate people on environmental conservation and make an impact on the overall health of the environment. Natalie is from the Maasai tribe, a semi-nomadic people group that historically refuses to support women’s education. Alternatively, the Maasai tribe often practices harmful traditions such as FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) and forces child marriage. Although two older men sought to marry Natalie before she was 12 years old, her brother finally stood up for her and helped Natalie escape what many other young Kenyan girls face.

“I’m from a Maasai community and in the Maasai community, we have what is called FGM. It’s where girls undergo circumcision, also in the Maasai community they don’t believe in girls’ education, so you would be very privileged if you get a chance to go to school because they don’t believe in girls education. They believe that the only thing that a woman can do is to give birth to children to be married.”

— Natalie

To fully avoid forced child marriage, Natalie ran away from home, fleeing to a local catholic church that helped her relocate to a home for displaced youth. Natalie has not been home or seen any of her family since she ran away. She was given a scholarship from Daraja Academy to finish high school but feared she had no options to fully fund a college education, until GLOW. Natalie is now a GLOW Girl Scholar studying environmental management with goals to bring lasting change and awareness to her community and beyond.