College in Isiolo seeks help to cater for needy girls from nomadic communities

A secretarial college based in Isiolo County has been providing hope for tens of needy girls from the nomadic communities of Somali, Borana and Samburu.

Started by the late Isiolo Catholic Diocese Bishop Luigi Locati, St Mary’s Secretarial College is helping nomadic girls break from the yoke of early marriages, female genital mutilation and the torturous lives of communities that still favour boys.

The college was started in 1974 with the aim of equipping girls from nomadic communities with secretarial skills.

The college’s principal, Sister Marie Therese attributes the success of the institution, the only one of its kind in the upper eastern region, to the late bishop, who was murdered on July 14, 2005.

“The idea to start the college was mooted by the Directorate of Personnel Management (DPM) in the Office of the President and implemented by Bishop Locati, who was the then Father-in-Charge of the Isiolo Catholic Mission.

WORK IN GOVERNMENT OFFICES

“The idea was to have local girls prepared to work in government offices in this dry region since those from other regions of country would not accept to work here,” Sr Therese said during an interview with Nation.co.ke

Due to its success, the institution is admitting girls from outside the pastoralist communities.

With 86 students, those from upcountry are quickly outnumbering their nomadic counterparts. The college’s admission numbers have also been buoyed by the introduction of a diploma course in human resource management and business administration courses.

Students from Machakos, Meru and Nairobi have been admitted to the college this year.

According to Sr Therese, the college, with 10 tutors, focuses on holistic training of the girls by incorporating religion in their studies.

“We graduate qualified secretaries with enhanced skills in typewriting, shorthand, office practice, commerce, secretarial duties, office management, entrepreneurship and computer literacy,” she said.

Sister Therese said a majority of the 1,718 trainees who graduated from the college from 1979 to 2012 were absorbed in various government departments as secretaries.

EPICENTRE OF SECRETARIAL STUDIES

“For a long time we have been at the epicentre of the secretarial profession in this country.

"Our trainees have been placed under employment by the DPM until 1994, when the government froze employment.

"I would still like to request, if possible, that more of our graduates be considered for employment,” she said.

But the donor-dependent college that has been under the sponsorship of the DPM is struggling with a financial crisis and is crying out for aid from well-wishers.

According to Sister Therese, the majority of the girls who are from poor backgrounds are unable to pay their school fees.

While noting that a majority of the students have sterling academic performances, most of them are unable to meet their financial obligations to the school.

COLLEGE PROVIDES EVERYTHING

“We provide everything for these girls. Some even don’t want to go back home when they close.

"It is very painful to send them home whenever their parents are unable to meet their financial obligations,” she said.

She appealed for support that would see students who are in great need of financial help get assistance.

“It is hard but not impossible. We wish that stakeholders in the religious, political and corporate circles come out in their large numbers to support this college,” she said.

They also plan to build an e-library and a multi-purpose hall to facilitate the learning by equipping the students with modern skills in technology.

It is estimated that this project will cost about Sh20 million.

For St Mary’s Secretarial College, there is no turning back.

And that, for a lot of girls in Isiolo, is their inspiration.