Kakenya Ntaiya: A girl who demanded school | TED

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

Translator: Olatz Rodríguez Reviewer: Begoña Laka

There's a group of people in Kenya.

Kenian pertsona talde bat dago

People cross oceans to go see them.

eta jendeak ozeanoa zeharkatzen du haiek ikusteko.

These people are tall.

Pertsona hauek altuak dira.

They jump high. They wear red.

Salto handiak egiten dituzte. Gorriz janzten dira.

And they kill lions.

Eta lehoiak hiltzen dituzte.

You might be wondering, who are these people?

Galdetuko duzue: nor dira pertsona hauek?

These are the Maasais.

Masaiak dira.

And you know what's cool? I'm actually one of them.

Eta badakizue zer den hoberena? Horietako bat naizela.

The Maasais, the boys are brought up to be warriors.

Masai etniako mutilak gerlariak izateko hezten dituzte.

The girls are brought up to be mothers.

Neskak, berriz, amak izateko.

When I was five years old,

Bost urte nituenean,

I found out that I was engaged

pubertarora iritsi bezain laster

to be married as soon as I reached puberty.

ezkondu beharko nuela esan zidaten.

My mother, my grandmother, my aunties,

Nire amak, nire amonak eta nire izebek

they constantly reminded me that

etengabe gogorarazten zidaten:

your husband just passed by.

"Zure senarra etxetik pasa da".

(Laughter) Cool, yeah?

(Barreak) Primeran, ezta?

And everything I had to do from that moment

Eta handik aurrera nire eginbeharreko bakarra

was to prepare me to be a perfect woman at age 12.

12 urterekin emakume perfektu bat bihurtzea zen.

My day started at 5 in the morning,

Nire eguna goizeko bostetan hasten zen,

milking the cows, sweeping the house,

behiak jetzi, etxea erraztu,

cooking for my siblings, collecting water, firewood.

nire neba-arrebentzat janaria prestatu ura, abarrak biltzeko.

I did everything that I needed to do

Emazte perfektua bihurtzeko

to become a perfect wife.

egin beharreko guztia egin nuen.

I went to school not because the Maasais'

Eskolara joaten nintzen

women or girls were going to school.

ez masai etniako neskak eskolara joaten zirelako,

It's because my mother was denied an education,

baizik eta nire amak eskolara ezin izan zuelako joan,

and she constantly reminded me and my siblings that

eta etengabe gogorarazten zigun bai niri eta baita nire neba-arrebei ere

she never wanted us to live the life she was living.

ez zuela inolaz ere nahi berak bizitakoa guk bizitzea.

Why did she say that?

Zergatik esaten zuen hori?

My father worked as a policeman in the city.

Nire aita polizia zen hirian.

He came home once a year.

Urtean behin bakarrik etortzen zen.

We didn't see him for sometimes even two years.

Batzuetan ez genuen bi urtean behin ere ikusten.

And whenever he came home, it was a different case.

Eta etxera etortzen zenean, dena ezberdina izaten zen.

My mother worked hard in the farm

Amak baserrian oso gogor egiten zuen lan

to grow crops so that we can eat.

uzta bildu eta gu elikatzeko.

She reared the cows and the goats

Ahuntza eta behiak hazten zituen

so that she can care for us.

gutaz arduratzen zelako.

But when my father came, he would sell the cows,

Baina nire aita zetorrenean, behiak saldu,

he would sell the products we had,

gure produktuak saldu

and he went and drank with his friends in the bars.

eta tabernara joaten zen lagunekin mozkortzera.

Because my mother was a woman,

Amak, andrea zenez,

she was not allowed to own any property,

ezin zuen inolako ondasunen jabea izan.

and by default, everything in my family anyway

eta familian geneukan guztia aitarena zen,

belongs to my father, so he had the right.

beraz eskubidea zuen horretarako.

And if my mother ever questioned him,

Eta amak inoiz ezer esaten bazion,

he beat her, abused her, and really it was difficult.

jo egiten zuen, oso gogorra zen guretzat.

When I went to school, I had a dream.

Eskolara joaten nintzenean, amets bat nuen.

I wanted to become a teacher.

Irakasle izan nahi nuen.

Teachers looked nice.

Irakasleak atseginak zirela ematen zuen.

They wear nice dresses, high-heeled shoes.

Soineko politak eta takoidun zapatak janzten zituzten.

I found out later that they are uncomfortable, but I admired it.

Geroago deserosoak zirela ikasi nuen, baina miretsi egiten nituen.

(Laughter)

(Barreak)

But most of all, the teacher was just writing on the board --

Baina gehienbat, irakasleek arbelean idazten zuten,

not hard work, that's what I thought,

lan erraza zela uste nuen,

compared to what I was doing in the farm.

nire baserriko lanarekin alderatura behintzat.

So I wanted to become a teacher.

Beraz, irakasle izan nahi nuen.

I worked hard in school, but when I was in eighth grade,

Eskolan oso gogor egiten nuen lan. Zortzigarren mailan

it was a determining factor.

faktore erabakitzaile bat zegoen.

In our tradition, there is a ceremony

Gure tradizioan bada zeremonia bat,

that girls have to undergo to become women,

neskek emakume bihurtzeko jasan behar dutena,

and it's a rite of passage to womanhood.

emakume bihurtzeko erritu bat da.

And then I was just finishing my eighth grade,

Zortzigarren maila amaitzear nengoen,

and that was a transition for me to go to high school.

institutura joateko trantsizio puntu bat zen.

This was the crossroad.

Gurutzagunea zen.

Once I go through this tradition, I was going to become a wife.

Tradizio hau jasan ondoren, emazte bihurtuko nintzen.

Well, my dream of becoming a teacher will not come to pass.

Irakasle izateko ametsa ez zen egi bilakatuko.

So I talked -- I had to come up with a plan

Beraz, plan bat bilatu beharra neukan

to figure these things out.

arazo hauek konpontzeko.

I talked to my father. I did something that most girls have never done.

Aitarekin hitz egin nuen. Neska gutxik egindako zerbait egin nuen.

I told my father, "I will only go through this ceremony

Aitari esan nion: "Zeremonia hori pairatuko dut

if you let me go back to school."

eskolara itzultzen uzten badidazu".

The reason why, if I ran away,

Hanka egiten banuen, aitak izen txarra izango zuen,

my father will have a stigma, people will be calling him

jendeak ezizena jarriko zion,

the father of that girl who didn't go through the ceremony.

zeremoniara joan ez zen neskaren aita deituko zuten.

It was a shameful thing for him to carry the rest of his life.

Bizitza osoan eraman beharko zuen zama lotsagarria zen.

So he figured out. "Well," he said, "okay,

Pentsatu eta esan zidan: "Ondo da,

you'll go to school after the ceremony."

zeremonia eta gero eskolara joango zara".

I did. The ceremony happened.

Eta hala egin nuen. Zeremonia iritsi zen.

It's a whole week long of excitement.

Asaldurazko aste oso bat da.

It's a ceremony. People are enjoying it.

Zeremonia bat. Jendeak ongi pasatzen du.

And the day before the actual ceremony happens,

Eta zeremoniaren bezperan

we were dancing, having excitement,

denok dantzan aritu ginen, asaldatuta

and through all the night we did not sleep.

eta ez genuen lorik egin gau osoan.

The actual day came, and we walked out of the house

Eguna iritsi zen eta dantza egiten egondako etxetik

that we were dancing in. Yes, we danced and danced.

atera ginen. Dantza eta dantza egin genuen.

We walked out to the courtyard, and there were a bunch of people waiting.

Patiora atera ginenean, jende mordoa zegoen zain.

They were all in a circle.

Denak zirkuluan zeuden jarrita.

And as we danced and danced,

Dantzan ari ginela

and we approached this circle of women,

zirkulura hurreratu ginen,

men, women, children, everybody was there.

emakumez, gizonez eta umez egindako zirkulura. Denak zeuden han.

There was a woman sitting in the middle of it,

Emakume bat zegoen erdian eserita

and this woman was waiting to hold us.

eta gure zain zegoen.

I was the first. There were my sisters and a couple of other girls,

Ni izan nintzen lehena. Nire ahizpak eta beste neska batzuk ere han zeuden

and as I approached her,

eta hurbildu nintzaionean,

she looked at me, and I sat down.

begiratu zidan eta eseri egin nintzen.

And I sat down, and I opened my legs.

Eseri eta hankak ireki nituen.

As I opened my leg, another woman came,

Ireki nituenean beste emakume bat etorri zen.

and this woman was carrying a knife.

Aizto bat zeraman.

And as she carried the knife, she walked toward me

Aiztoa eskuetan zuela, niregana hurreratu,

and she held the clitoris, and she cut it off.

klitoria heldu eta moztu egin zidan.

As you can imagine, I bled. I bled.

Irudikatu dezakezuen bezala, odola zeridan.

After bleeding for a while, I fainted thereafter.

Odoletan une batez egon ondoren, zorabiatu egin nintzen.

It's something that so many girls --

Neska asko -

I'm lucky, I never died -- but many die.

nik zortea izan nuen, ez nintzen hil, baina asko bai.

It's practiced, it's no anesthesia, it's a rusty old knife,

Anestesiarik gabe, aizto zahar, herdoildu bat da.

and it was difficult.

Oso gogorra izan zen.

I was lucky because one, also, my mom did something

Zortea izan nuen, nire amak egin zuelako

that most women don't do.

ia inork egiten ez duen zerbait.

Three days later, after everybody has left the home,

Hiru egun beranduago, guztiek alde egin ondoren,

my mom went and brought a nurse.

nire amak erizain bat ekarri zuen.

We were taken care of.

Zaindu egin gintuen.

Three weeks later, I was healed, and I was back in high school.

Hiru aste beranduago sendatuta nengoen eta institutura itzuli nintzen.

I was so determined to be a teacher now

Inoiz baino ziurrago nengoen irakasle izan nahi nuela

so that I could make a difference in my family.

nire familia aldatu ahal izateko.

Well, while I was in high school, something happened.

Zerbait gertatu zen institutuan nengoenean.

I met a young gentleman from our village

Herriko gizon gazte bat ezagutu nuen

who had been to the University of Oregon.

Oregoneko unibertsitatean egondakoa.

This man was wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, camera,

Gizon honek kamiseta zuri bat, bakeroak, argazki-kamera

white sneakers -- and I'm talking about white sneakers.

eta kirol-oinetakoak zeramatzan. Kirol-oinetako zuriak.

There is something about clothes, I think, and shoes.

Uste dut badagoela zerbait arropa eta zapatekin.

They were sneakers, and this is in a village

Kirol-oinetakoak ziren, eta gure herrian

that doesn't even have paved roads. It was quite attractive.

ez zegoen asfaltatutako biderik. Nahiko erakargarria zen.

I told him, "Well, I want to go to where you are,"

Esan nion: "Zu zauden lekura joan nahi dut".

because this man looked very happy, and I admired that.

gizon hura pozik zegoela iruditzen baitzitzaidan, eta hori miretsi egiten nuen.

And he told me, "Well,

Berak hau esan zidan: "Zer diozu?

what do you mean, you want to go?

"Alde egin?

Don't you have a husband waiting for you?"

Ez al duzu senar bat zain?"

And I told him, "Don't worry about that part.

Erantzun nion: "Ez kezkatu,

Just tell me how to get there."

Esadazu hara nola irits naitekeen".

This gentleman, he helped me.

Gizon gazte hark asko lagundu zidan.

While I was in high school also, my dad was sick.

Institutuan nengoenean aita gaixorik zegoen.

He got a stroke, and he was really, really sick,

Apoplexia bat izan zuen, oso gaixorik zegoen,

so he really couldn't tell me what to do next.

ezin zidan esan zer egin behar nuen.

But the problem is, my father is not the only father I have.

Baina arazoa zen neure aita ez zela nik nuen aita bakarra.

Everybody who is my dad's age, male in the community,

Nire aitaren adineko komunitateko gizon guztiak

is my father by default --

nire aita bezala ziren.

my uncles, all of them -- and they dictate what my future is.

Osabek eta beste guztiek esaten zuten nola izango zen nire etorkizuna.

So the news came, I applied to school

Berriak iritsi ziren, unibertsitaterako eskabidea egin nuen

and I was accepted to Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia,

eta Virginiako Randolph-Macon Emakumeen Unibertsitatean hartu ninduten.

and I couldn't come without the support of the village,

Ezin nuen herriaren laguntzarik gabe joan,

because I needed to raise money to buy the air ticket.

hegazkin txartela erosteko dirua behar bainuen.

I got a scholarship but I needed to get myself here.

Diru-laguntza lortu nuen, baina dirua behar nuen hara joateko.

But I needed the support of the village,

Herriaren babesa behar nuen.

and here again, when the men heard,

Gizonek entzun zutenean

and the people heard that a woman had gotten an opportunity to go to school,

emakume batek unibertsitatera joateko aukera zuela,

they said, "What a lost opportunity.

esan zuten: "Galdutako aukera bat da.

This should have been given to a boy. We can't do this."

Mutil bati eman beharko zioten. Ezin dizugu lagundu."

So I went back and I had to go back to the tradition.

Tradizioari jarraitu behar nion.

There's a belief among our people

Gure herrian bada sinismen bat,

that morning brings good news.

goizak berri onak dakartzala.

So I had to come up with something to do with the morning,

Goizarekin zerikusia zuen zerbait asmatu behar nuen,

because there's good news in the morning.

berri onak goizean datozelako.

And in the village also, there is one chief, an elder,

Gure herrian badago buruzagi zahar bat,

who if he says yes, everybody will follow him.

eta berak baietz esanez gero, guztiek onartzen dute bere erabakia.

So I went to him very early in the morning, as the sun rose.

Eguzkia irten bezain laster berarengana joan nintzen.

The first thing he sees when he opens his door is, it's me.

Goizean atea ireki zuenean, ni ikusi ninduen.

"My child, what are you doing here?"

"Maitea, zertan zabiltza hemen?"

"Well, Dad, I need help. Can you support me to go to America?"

"Aita, laguntza behar dut. Lagunduko al didazu Amerikara joaten?"

I promised him that I would be the best girl,

Munduko neskarik onena izango nintzela agindu nion,

I will come back, anything they wanted after that,

itzultzean berak nahi zuena egingo nuela,

I will do it for them.

beraientzat edozer egiteko prest nengoela.

He said, "Well, but I can't do it alone."

"Bai, baina ezin dizut nik bakarrik lagundu",

He gave me a list of another 15 men that I went --

Beste 15 gizonen izenak eman zizkidan,

16 more men -- every single morning

beste 16 gizon, eta goizero

I went and visited them.

bisitan joaten nintzaien.

They all came together.

Azkenean ados etorri ziren.

The village, the women, the men, everybody came together

Herria, emakumeak, gizonak, denak ados etorri ziren

to support me to come to get an education.

hezkuntza lortzeko niri laguntzeko.

I arrived in America. As you can imagine, what did I find?

Amerikara iritsi nintzen. Eta zer aurkitu nuen?

I found snow!

Elurra!

I found Wal-Marts, vacuum cleaners,

Waltmart dendak, xurgagailuak

and lots of food in the cafeteria.

eta kafetegietan janari mordoa.

I was in a land of plenty.

Ugaritasunezko lurralde batean nengoen.

I enjoyed myself, but during that moment while I was here,

Oso ongi pasa nuen, baina hemen nengoenean

I discovered a lot of things.

gauza askotaz jabetu nintzen.

I learned that that ceremony that I went through

13 urterekin jasandako zeremonia hura

when I was 13 years old, it was called female genital mutilation.

klitori ablazioa zela jakin nuen,

I learned that it was against the law in Kenya.

eta Kenian legearen aurka doala.

I learned that I did not have to trade part of my body

Ez nuela nire gorputzeko atal batekin tratuan ibili beharrik

to get an education. I had a right.

hezkuntza lortzeko. Horretarako eskubidea nuela.

And as we speak right now, three million girls

Momentu honetan hiru milioi neska daude

in Africa are at risk of going through this mutilation.

Afrikan ablazioa jasateko arriskuarekin.

I learned that my mom had a right to own property.

Jakin nuen amak ondasunak izateko eskubidea zuela.

I learned that she did not have to be abused

Emakumea izateagatik ez zuela

because she is a woman.

kolpatua izan beharrik.

Those things made me angry.

Gauza hauek haserrearazten ninduten.

I wanted to do something.

Zerbait egin nahi nuen.

As I went back, every time I went,

Herrira itzultzen nintzen bakoitzean

I found that my neighbors' girls were getting married.

nire bizilagunen alabak ezkontzen ikusten nituen,

They were getting mutilated, and here,

ablazioa jasaten zutela eta hemen,

after I graduated from here, I worked at the U.N.,

graduatu eta Nazio Batuetan lan egin ondoren,

I went back to school to get my graduate work,

eskolara itzuli nintzen nire graduazio lana hartzera,

the constant cry of these girls was in my face.

neska horien negarrak nituen beti gogoan.

I had to do something.

Zerbait egin behar nuen.

As I went back, I started talking to the men,

Bueltatu eta gizonekin hitz egiten hasi nintzen,

to the village, and mothers, and I said,

herriarekin eta amekin.

"I want to give back the way I had promised you

"Agindutakoa egin nahi dut,

that I would come back and help you. What do you need?"

itzultzean lagunduko nizuela esan nuen. Zer behar duzue?"

As I spoke to the women, they told me,

Emakumeek hau esan zidaten:

"You know what we need? We really need a school for girls."

"Neskentzako eskola bat behar dugu".

Because there had not been any school for girls.

Ez baitzegoen neskentzako eskolarik.

And the reason they wanted the school for girls

Arrazoia zera zen,

is because when a girl is raped when she's walking to school,

neska bat bortxatzen bazuten eskolarako bidean,

the mother is blamed for that.

bere ama zelako erruduna.

If she got pregnant before she got married,

Ezkondu baino lehen haurdun geratzen bazen,

the mother is blamed for that, and she's punished.

amaren errua zen, eta horregatik zigortzen zuten.

She's beaten.

Kolpatu egiten zuten.

They said, "We wanted to put our girls in a safe place."

Amek zioten: "Neskak babespean eduki nahi ditugu".

As we moved, and I went to talk to the fathers,

Aitekin hitz egitera joan nintzen,

the fathers, of course, you can imagine what they said:

eta badakizue zer esan zuten aitek:

"We want a school for boys."

"Guk mutilentzat eskola bat nahi dugu".

And I said, "Well, there are a couple of men from my village

Esan nien: "Nire herriko mutil batzuk

who have been out and they have gotten an education.

atzerrira joan eta hezkuntza jaso dute.

Why can't they build a school for boys,

Zergatik ez dute haiek mutilen eskola eraikitzen

and I'll build a school for girls?"

eta nik nesken eskola?"

That made sense. And they agreed.

Zentzuzkoa zen. Nirekin bat etorri ziren.

And I told them, I wanted them to show me a sign of commitment.

Esan nien konpromisoaren seinale bat ikusi behar nuela.

And they did. They donated land where we built the girls' school.

Eta hala egin zuten. Nesken eskolarako lurrak eman zizkiguten.

We have.

Egin dugu.

I want you to meet one of the girls in that school.

Eskola hartako neska bat ezagutzea nahi dut.

Angeline came to apply for the school,

Angeline eskolan izena ematera etorri zen.

and she did not meet any criteria that we had.

Ez zuen genituen irizpideetako bat ere betetzen.

She's an orphan. Yes, we could have taken her for that.

Umezurtza da. Bai, horregatik onartuko genuen,

But she was older. She was 12 years old,

baina zaharregia zen. 12 urte zituen

and we were taking girls who were in fourth grade.

eta guk 4. mailako neskak hartzen genituen.

Angeline had been moving from one place --

Angeline toki batetik bestera zebilen

because she's an orphan, she has no mother, she has no father --

umezurtza delako, ez du ez ama ez aitarik,

moving from one grandmother's house to another one,

eta bere amonen etxetik izeben etxeetara zebilen,

from aunties to aunties. She had no stability in her life.

alde batetik bestera. Ez zuen inolako egonkortasunik.

And I looked at her, I remember that day,

Berari begiratu nionean, egun hartan,

and I saw something beyond what I was seeing in Angeline.

une hartan ikusten ari nintzena baino zerbait gehiago ikusi nuen.

And yes, she was older to be in fourth grade.

4. mailakoak baino zaharragoa zen,

We gave her the opportunity to come to the class.

baina klasera etortzeko aukera eman genion.

Five months later, that is Angeline.

Hau da Angeline bost hilabete beranduago.

A transformation had begun in her life.

Bere bizitzan transformazio bat hasi berri zen.

Angeline wants to be a pilot so she can fly around the world

Angelinek pilotu izan nahi du munduan zehar bidaiatu

and make a difference.

eta gauzak aldatzeko.

She was not the top student when we took her.

Ez zen ikasle onena hartu genuenean,

Now she's the best student, not just in our school,

baina orain onena da, eta ez bakarrik gure eskolan,

but in the entire division that we are in.

baizik eta gauden sail osoan.

That's Sharon. That's five years later.

Hau Sharon da. Eta hau bera bost urte beranduago.

That's Evelyn. Five months later, that is the difference that we are making.

Hau Evelyn da. Bost hilabete beranduago hau da egiten dugun aldaketa.

As a new dawn is happening in my school,

Aro berri bat hasi da nire eskolan,

a new beginning is happening.

eta hasiera berri baten aurrean gaude.

As we speak right now, 125 girls will never be mutilated.

Momentu honetan, 125 neskek ez dute ablazioa inoiz jasango.

One hundred twenty-five girls will not be married when they're 12 years old.

125 neskek ez dute 12 urterekin ezkondu beharrik izango.

One hundred twenty-five girls are creating and achieving their dreams.

125 neska beren ametsak sortzen eta lortzen ari dira.

This is the thing that we are doing,

Hau da egiten ari garena:

giving them opportunities where they can rise.

hazteko aukerak ematen.

As we speak right now, women are not being beaten

Momentu honetan, emakumeak ez dira kolpatuak

because of the revolutions we've started in our community.

gure komunitatean hasi genituen iraultzengatik.

(Applause)

(Txaloak)

I want to challenge you today.

Erronka jo nahi dizuet gaur.

You are listening to me because you are here,

Hemen zaudete niri entzuten,

very optimistic.

oso optimistak.

You are somebody who is so passionate.

Oso pertsona grinatsuak zarete.

You are somebody who wants to see a better world.

Mundu hobeagoa ikusi nahi duzue.

You are somebody who wants to see that war ends, no poverty.

Gudak eta pobrezia amaitzea nahi duzue.

You are somebody who wants to make a difference.

Gauzak aldatu nahi dituzue.

You are somebody who wants to make our tomorrow better.

Gure etorkizuna hobea izatea nahi duzue.

I want to challenge you today that to be the first,

Erronka egin nahi dizuet beti lehenak izan zaitezten,

because people will follow you.

zeren modu honetan jendeak jarraitu egingo zaituzte.

Be the first. People will follow you.

Izan zaitezte lehenak. Jendeak jarraitu egingo zaituzte.

Be bold. Stand up. Be fearless. Be confident.

Izan ausartak. Altxa zaitezte. Ez izan beldurrik. Zuengan sinetsi.

Move out, because as you change your world,

Mugi. Mundua aldatzen duzunean,

as you change your community,

zure komunitatea aldatzen duzu,

as we believe that we are impacting one girl, one family,

neska bat, familia bat herri bat, herrialde batean

one village, one country at a time.

eragina dugula pentsatzen dugunean.

We are making a difference, so if you change your world,

Aldaketa bat egiten ari gara, eta zure mundua aldatzean

you are going to change your community,

zure komunitatea ere aldatzen ari zara,

you are going to change your country,

zure herrialdea,

and think about that. If you do that, and I do that,

eta pentsa ezazue. Hau egiten baduzue, eta hau egiten badut,

aren't we going to create a better future for our children,

ez al gara gure umeei, zuen umeei, gure bilobei

for your children, for our grandchildren?

etorkizun hobea eskaintzen ari?

And we will live in a very peaceful world. Thank you very much.

Eta mundu baketsu baten biziko gara. Mila esker.

(Applause)

(Txaloak)