18-Year-Old Uses Music to Fight Violence Against Children in Isiolo, Kenya
In Garba Tulla, Isiolo County, Kenya, 18-year-old Maimuna Mohammed uses music to challenge harmful cultural practices affecting children. The third-born in a family of seven has become a beacon of hope in a community where female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, and teenage pregnancy persist.
Isiolo County, predominantly inhabited by pastoralists, faces multiple challenges, including poverty and harsh climate conditions. Deep-seated cultural and religious beliefs and emerging trends such as cross-border practices hinder eradication efforts.
Girls as young as 12 are often married off in exchange for livestock, their futures compromised by FGM and early marriage. The challenges remain significant—in 2021, over 2,256 girls aged 10-19 in Isiolo County sought antenatal care due to teenage pregnancies.
The 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey indicates that the prevalence of FGM in Kenya has decreased from 38% in 1998 to 15%, meaning that 15 percent of girls and women aged 15 to 49 have been circumcised. Isiolo remains one of the affected counties with FGM, additionally reporting concerning cases of teenage pregnancy, with 16.7% of girls aged 15–19 having experienced pregnancy at some point.
Men’s involvement is crucial in the fight to end female genital mutilation and other forms of violence against girls and women. Maimuna’s father, Mwalimu Mohammed Boru Dika, has actively participated in World Vision’s training programs, such as Celebrating Families, Empowered Worldview, and Saving for Transformation, through the Child Sponsorship Program. He states that after being trained on how to protect children, these sessions changed his perception of girls and women, and he made a commitment to empower his daughters by providing them with an education.
"World Vision empowered my parents to protect me from FGM and child marriage, allowing me to stay in school and pursue my dreams," Maimuna shares.
Today, Maimuna champions children's rights through her music, noting that "Girls are the light of the community, not commodities to be traded for cattle." Having completed her Certificate in Community Development, Maimuna continues to use her music as a call to action. She sings about education as a fundamental right, ending violence against children, and the dangers of FGM.
Through her music, advocacy, and leadership, Maimuna is lighting the way for other girls in her community, showing that they are more than their circumstances and that they, too, can be agents of change. She aspires to start a foundation to support vulnerable girls and ensure they have access to the education and protection they deserve.
"This community believes that after the cut, these girls are ready for marriage, even though they are still children. Once girls undergo FGM, they are married off in exchange for animals," explains Mwalimu Dika, Maimuna's father.
William Adero, World Vision Kenya Regional Manager, commends young leaders like Maimuna for using their talents to drive change.
“Far too many children suffer from harmful practices that inflict immediate harm and long-term health consequences. By supporting these young advocates, we can ensure every child has the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilled life," he states.
"For over 15 years, we have been working with the government and partners in Garba Tulla to address harmful cultural practices," says Raphael Kimutai, World Vision Kenya Manager for the Isiolo, Nyeri, and Samburu Cluster. "Role models like Maimuna show children in this community that they can pursue their dreams."
By Felix Pilipili, Communications Specialist, World Vision Kenya