12/08/2026
A symbol of HOPE, Nalepo and Esupat's story (Based on True story)
The vast Engaruka plains is home to pastoralist communities. Here seasons, rains, grazing lands, and the movement of cattle herds guide people’s lifestyle. Children often learned the names of cattle and herding traditions before they learned letters. For a long time schools were far away or unavailable. the region had only two public schools serving thousands of families spread across the plains of Engaruka basin. For many girls, tradition often ended schooling before it could begin. In many households, a girl’s value was measured not by education, but dowry paid in cattle, goats, blankets, and other support from a husband’s family. Marriages were mostly arranged even before girls transitioned from childhood. Engaruka English Medium School was established to provide education access to children within these communities
Nalepo and Esupat both 12 years old girls grew up together, herding goats, sharing evening fires and quiet dreams. They hoped to be in school someday. But their families had other plans. Within days, their wedding dates were announced. Nalepo and Esupat did not want to be married. But in the community, tradition and elders’ decisions carry more weight than a girl’s wishes. For them, the wedding was not just an event, it was the end of their chance to learn. So, the problem became clear and urgent. If they stayed, they would be forced into early marriage and lose their opportunity for education forever.
Engaruka English Medium School had a different strategy to promote education, teachers visited elder for conversations, the headteacher walked long hours into the bush to plead for girls to be allowed to learn. This news provided Nalepo and Esupat hope.
As the wedding approached, the girls quietly planned their escape. They did not fully know the route to the school, but they remembered the rooftop they had once seen from a distant hillside. And they left. They walked for about 19 kilometers, without proper food, water, or adult protection. They followed a seasonal water channel determined.
When they finally reached Engaruka English Medium School, their feet were sore, their throats dry, and legs barely able to carry them. They were taken to the headteacher. Although skeptical that they could be rejected. The headteacher affirmed: “You are safe now. Tell me what happened.” They recounted their story.The headteacher promised not to send them back into a marriage they had not chosen.
In the months that followed, Nalepo and Esupat story to school travelled far and became part of a growing movement. Many girls started showing up in school, some with similar fears but with the same desperate courage. others fled forced marriages and others simply yearning to be the first to go to school in their homes. Eventually, more than 14 girls joined the school. What started as a school became a center of refuge and learning for girls.
With more than 365 students today, Engaruka English Medium School, continues to champion education for girls and boys, and sensitizing the community on the values of education. It remains a symbol of hope and a path to new possibilities.
