ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kakenya Ntaiya - Educator and activist
Kakenya Ntaiya refused to accept the continued oppression of women in her Maasai village -- so she built a school that's shifting gender expectations in her community.

Why you should listen

Kakenya Ntaiya was set to follow the traditional path of girls born in the small village of Enoosaen, Kenya. Engaged at the age of 5, she was to participate in a female circumcision ceremony as a young teenager and then be married. But she had a different plan. First, she negotiated with her father and willingly agree to be circumcised -- only if he would allow her to finish high school. Later, when she was accepted to Randolph-Macon Women's College in Viriginia, she negotiated with her village elders to do what no girl had ever done before: leave her village to go to college in the United States.

She didn’t leave forever, though. Deeply proud of her heritage and of her community, Ntaiya returned to the village after school and worked with her elders to establish a school for girls there. The Kakenya Center for Excellence was established in 2009 with 32 students. A primary grade boarding school just for girls, the curriculum focuses on academics, leadership and female empowerment, along with cultural preservation and life skills. While families that can afford tuition do, Ntaiya also works with donors to provide scholarships for others.

In addition to her work with the school, Ntaiya is also a National Geographic emerging explorer. 

More profile about the speaker
Kakenya Ntaiya | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2018

Kakenya Ntaiya: Empower a girl, transform a community

Kakenya Ntaiya: Empodere uma menina e transforme uma comunidade

Filmed:
1,693,935 views

Kakenya Ntaiya transformou seu sonho de estudar em um movimento de empoderamento de meninas em situação de vulnerabilidade, trazendo um fim a práticas tradicionais nocivas no Quênia. Conheça duas alunas do Kakenya Center for Excellence ("Centro de Excelência Kakenya"), uma escola onde meninas podem viver e estudar em segurança, e melhorar sua comunidade ao longo desse processo. "Quando empoderamos uma menina, transformamos uma comunidade", afirma Ntaiya.
- Educator and activist
Kakenya Ntaiya refused to accept the continued oppression of women in her Maasai village -- so she built a school that's shifting gender expectations in her community. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
To empower girls,
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Para empoderar meninas,
é preciso educá-las.
00:14
you need to educate them.
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Esse era o meu sonho.
00:15
That was my dream.
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00:17
And so I built a school,
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Então, abri uma escola
00:19
and in the process,
I learned something much bigger.
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e, durante o processo,
aprendi algo muito maior:
00:22
When you empower a girl,
you transform a community.
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quando empoderamos uma menina,
transformamos uma comunidade.
00:25
School is just a start.
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A escola é só o começo.
Fui criada no interior do Quênia,
num pequeno vilarejo chamado Enoosaen.
00:29
I grew up in rural Kenya
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00:30
in a small village called Enoosaen.
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Sou a mais velha de oito irmãos,
00:33
I was the first of eight children,
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e passei minha infância ajudando minha mãe
a cozinhar, limpar, cultivar
00:34
and I spent my childhood
helping my mother cook, clean, farm
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00:40
and take care of my siblings.
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e tomar conta dos meus irmãos.
00:42
Like other Maasai girls,
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Tal como outras garotas massai,
00:43
I was engaged from
a very young age to be married.
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fiquei noiva bem cedo,
visando ao casamento.
Mas, quando fiquei adolescente,
00:48
But as I reached puberty,
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00:50
I underwent female genital mutilation,
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fui submetida à mutilação
genital feminina,
conhecida como MGF.
00:54
known as FGM.
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Essa imagem mostra alguns dos utensílios
usados nesse procedimento.
00:56
This picture shows some of the tools
that are used to perform FGM on girls.
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O objetivo da MGF é marcar
o fim da infância
01:03
FGM was supposed to mark
the end of my childhood
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01:06
and, by extension, my education.
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e, consequentemente,
o fim da minha educação.
01:10
But I negotiated with my father
in order to stay in school --
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Mas negociei com meu pai
para permanecer na escola
mesmo após passar pela MGF.
01:14
even after going through FGM.
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01:17
Years later I went to university.
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Anos depois, entrei na universidade.
01:21
And in order to get
my community's support,
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Para conseguir o apoio
da minha comunidade,
01:25
I promised to come back one day
to repay that support.
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prometi voltar um dia
para retribuir o apoio.
Porém, anos depois,
quando voltei ao meu vilarejo,
01:30
But years later,
when I went back to my village,
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01:34
not much had changed.
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as coisas não tinham mudado muito.
01:36
Girls were still going through FGM,
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As meninas ainda eram submetidas à MGF,
01:39
still leaving school,
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ainda abandonavam a escola,
01:40
still getting married
to men older than their fathers
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ainda se casavam com homens
mais velhos do que seus pais
01:44
and still having children
when they're teenagers.
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e ainda tinham filhos na adolescência.
01:49
I did not want to see
any more girls go through that.
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Eu não queria ver mais
nenhuma menina passar por isso.
01:53
That's when I knew what I needed to do
to give back to my community.
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Aí percebi o que eu tinha que fazer
para retribuir à minha comunidade.
01:59
I built a school just for girls
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Abri uma escola só para meninas,
02:02
so that they can be free from FGM
and early marriage.
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para que elas pudessem se ver livres
da MGF e do casamento precoce.
Na primeira fase de matrículas...
02:07
At my first enrollment --
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02:08
(Applause and cheers)
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(Aplausos) (Vivas)
02:15
At my first enrollment,
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Na primeira fase de matrículas,
eu esperava umas dez meninas.
02:17
I had hoped for 10 girls.
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Apareceram 100.
02:19
100 came.
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02:21
(Cheers and applause)
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(Vivas) (Aplausos)
02:23
I started to realize
just how big this dream was,
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Comecei a perceber o tamanho desse sonho,
02:27
and soon I learned that my school
could be the foundation --
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e logo descobri que minha escola
poderia ser o alicerce,
02:31
but it wasn't going to be enough.
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mas que não seria suficiente.
02:33
So that first year,
I enrolled these 30 girls.
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Então, naquele primeiro ano,
matriculei essas 30 meninas.
02:37
Some had been abused, others were orphans,
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Algumas haviam sofrido abusos,
outras eram órfãs,
02:40
and some came from families
that are very traditional,
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e outras vinham de famílias
muito tradicionais
02:42
that had never sent any girl to school.
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em que meninas nunca haviam
frequentado escola.
02:45
So school started.
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Então, as aulas começaram.
Embora parecessem animadas por estarem lá,
02:47
Though the girls
seemed excited to be there,
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as meninas tinham dificuldade
de ficarem acordadas.
02:50
they were having difficulty staying awake.
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O que estava acontecendo?
02:53
What was going on?
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02:55
They had a teacher, they had books,
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Elas tinham professora, tinham livros,
02:57
there was a new classroom on the way,
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uma nova sala de aula
estava sendo construída,
só que...
02:59
but ...
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elas estavam determinadas a estarem lá,
mas não tinham energia.
03:01
They were determined to be there,
but they had no energy.
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03:05
Then I realized they were hungry,
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Aí, percebi que elas tinham fome,
03:08
so I quickly found a cook and food.
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e rapidamente providenciei
comida e uma cozinheira.
A partir de então, vi que salas de aula
não eram o bastante.
03:12
Soon thereafter, I learned
that a classroom was not enough.
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03:15
I needed a boarding school.
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Eu precisava de uma escola-internato.
03:18
Not only were the girls tired
and hungry from chores
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As meninas não só viviam cansadas
e com fome por causa de tarefas domésticas
e de longas caminhadas
indo e voltando da escola,
03:22
and long walks to school and back home,
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03:25
they were also not safe.
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mas também não tinham segurança.
03:27
It's a sad truth,
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É uma triste verdade,
03:29
but girls are often assaulted,
raped and even kidnapped
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mas meninas são frequentemente
atacadas, estupradas
e até raptadas a caminho da escola.
03:33
on their way to school.
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Então, antes de elas aprenderem
matemática ou história,
03:35
So before a girl
could learn math or history,
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03:39
she needed to feel safe,
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elas precisavam se sentir seguras,
03:40
she needed to be rested
and be well-nourished.
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precisavam estar descansadas
e bem alimentadas.
03:44
So let me tell you about some of my girls.
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Bem, vou falar sobre algumas
das minhas meninas.
03:47
This is Faith.
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Essa é a Faith.
03:49
Faith comes from a very traditional
family in the community.
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Faith vem de uma família
bastante tradicional da comunidade.
03:53
Her older sister had already
gone through FGM and already married,
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Sua irmã mais velha já havia sido
submetida à MGF e se casado,
03:57
but Faith was so determined.
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mas Faith era determinada.
03:59
She really loved learning,
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Ela adorava estudar
04:01
and she wanted to come to my school
when she heard about it.
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e quis vir pra minha escola
quando ouviu falar dela.
04:05
So she asked her father, her mother --
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Ela pediu a seu pai, sua mãe,
a todos que pudessem levá-la até lá,
04:07
anyone to bring her to my school.
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e todos se recusaram.
04:10
They all refused.
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04:12
Faith did something very brave.
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Faith fez algo muito corajoso.
04:15
She stole an egg from her mother's house,
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Ela roubou um ovo da casa de sua mãe,
04:18
went to the market,
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foi até o mercado, vendeu o ovo
e comprou um lápis.
04:19
sold the egg and bought a single pencil.
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Depois, andou 8 km, agarrada ao lápis,
para tentar se matricular.
04:22
Then she walked five miles,
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04:24
clenching that pencil, trying to enroll.
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04:27
She arrived --
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Ela chegou à escola...
04:28
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
04:31
She arrived tired and hungry,
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Ela chegou à escola cansada e com fome,
mas determinada.
04:34
but determined.
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04:35
I listened to her story,
and we enrolled her in my school.
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Ouvi a história dela
e a matriculei em minha escola.
Mas se matricular
era apenas o primeiro passo.
04:39
But getting into my school
was only just the start.
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Faith precisava de comida,
de medicamentos, de aconselhamento,
04:43
Faith needed food, she needed medicine,
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04:46
she needed counseling --
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e providenciamos tudo isso.
04:48
all of which we provided.
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04:50
And she also met adults
who already believed in her.
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Ela também conheceu adultos
que acreditavam nela.
04:54
Supported by this community,
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Com o apoio dessa comunidade,
04:57
Faith was ready to learn.
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Faith estava pronta para aprender.
Essa é Faith, após seis meses na escola.
04:59
This is Faith.
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05:00
Six months of schooling,
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05:03
now she's a happy sixth grader
who dreams of becoming a pilot someday,
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Ela está feliz, é aluna do sexto ano,
sonha ser pilota um dia.
05:08
and her family now supports her,
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Hoje a família dela a apoia,
e o melhor de tudo
05:10
and best of all,
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05:12
her younger sisters
will follow in her footsteps.
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é que suas irmãs mais novas
seguirão o seu exemplo.
05:15
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
05:23
Child marriage is expected to cost
the global economy trillions of dollars
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Estima-se que o casamento infantil
custará à economia global
trilhões de dólares
ao longo dos próximos 15 anos.
05:28
over the next 15 years.
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Podemos falar de números,
05:30
We can talk numbers,
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mas, na vida real,
05:32
but in a real lifetime,
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05:34
what child marriage will cost my village
is the doctor, the teacher,
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o custo do casamento infantil
para o meu vilarejo
é a médica, a professora, a empreendedora
05:40
the entrepreneur,
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e a verdadeira parceira de que nossos
homens vão precisar no futuro,
05:41
the true partner our men
will need in the future ...
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05:45
real ways women can help us
lift out of poverty.
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formas reais através das quais as mulheres
podem nos ajudar a sair da pobreza.
05:51
So I came to realize once again,
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Então, mais uma vez percebi,
05:54
as I did when I needed help
to go to university,
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como quando precisei de ajuda
para ir pra universidade,
05:57
that while I could dream or have a dream,
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que, embora pudesse sonhar
ou ter um sonho,
06:00
I could not make it come true
all by myself.
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eu não podia realizá-lo sozinha.
06:05
So I went back to the elders
who helped me more than a decade ago.
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Então, recorri aos anciãos que haviam
me ajudado mais de dez anos antes.
06:10
I needed their support once again
if I was going to be successful.
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Mais uma vez, eu precisaria
do apoio deles para ter sucesso.
Então, criei um conselho comunitário
06:15
So I formed a community board
with religious leaders, parents
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com líderes religiosos, pais
e alguns professores de outras escolas.
06:20
and some teachers from other schools.
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06:23
I needed allies in the government
and in the community
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Eu precisava de aliados
no governo e na comunidade
06:27
to help advance my goal.
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para alcançar meu objetivo.
06:30
I needed especially
the support of the chief
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Precisava principalmente
do apoio do chefe do vilarejo
06:32
to help me enforce
the no-FGM policy in my school.
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para me ajudar a implementar
a política anti-MGF em minha escola.
No início, ele foi resistente,
06:36
At first he was resistant,
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06:39
but I persisted --
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mas eu insisti...
06:40
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
06:42
and now he's our greatest ally.
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e agora ele é nosso maior aliado.
06:44
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
06:50
I also needed the fathers.
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Também precisava dos pais.
06:53
That brings me to Linet.
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Isso me leva a Linet.
06:56
Linet's father, Momposhi,
did not believe in the education of girls.
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O pai de Linet, Momposhi,
não acreditava na educação de meninas.
07:01
In fact, he himself never went to school.
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Na verdade, ele mesmo
nunca havia frequentado a escola.
07:04
But Linet's mother believed in Linet
and brought her to enroll in my school,
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Mas a mãe de Linet acreditava nela
e a levou para se matricular na escola,
07:07
and I knew she belonged with us.
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e eu sabia que o lugar dela era conosco.
07:10
I just had to find a way
to get Momposhi to believe in Linet, too.
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Eu só precisava encontrar uma forma
de fazer Momposhi acreditar nela também.
07:16
So I used the pretense
of revealing Linet's grade
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Então, usei a desculpa
de mostrar as notas de Linet
para fazer Momposhi ir até a escola.
07:20
to get Momposhi to come.
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07:23
He came, and he started noticing
his daughter being promising as a student.
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Ele foi e começou a perceber
que sua filha era uma aluna promissora.
07:28
With each visit, he built
a strong relationship with his daughter --
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A cada visita, ele fortalecia
sua relação com sua filha,
07:34
noticing not just her grades
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não só percebendo as notas dela,
07:36
but also accepting her
as someone with full potential.
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mas também aceitando-a
como uma pessoa cheia de potencial.
Quando Linet foi aceita numa das melhores
escolas secundárias do país,
07:41
So when Linet was accepted
in one of the top national high schools
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07:45
after eighth grade,
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após a oitava série,
07:46
Momposhi was bursting with pride
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Momposhi se encheu de orgulho
07:49
and went around the village
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e saiu pelo vilarejo contando a todos
07:50
telling everyone how proud
and how smart his daughter was.
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o quanto estava orgulhoso de sua filha
e o quanto ela era inteligente.
07:54
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
07:55
Can you imagine?
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Dá pra imaginar?
07:57
He brought Linet
to the new school himself.
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Ele mesmo levou Linet à nova escola.
07:59
It was the first time either of them
had ever been to Nairobi.
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Foi a primeira vez que os dois
haviam ido a Nairóbi.
08:04
Today Linet is studying
at university in Australia --
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Atualmente, Linet está estudando
numa universidade na Austrália...
08:08
(Applause and cheers)
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(Aplausos) (Vivas)
08:13
and Momposhi is our greatest
advocate in the community.
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e Momposhi é nosso maior
defensor na comunidade.
08:18
I also brought mothers to the table,
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Também atraí as mães,
08:20
including my own.
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inclusive a minha.
08:22
That's my mother
in one of our training programs.
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Essa é minha mãe, em um dos nossos cursos.
08:24
And our mothers are involved
in the education of their own children.
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Nossas mães participam da educação
de suas próprias filhas.
08:29
I also brought grandmothers into the mix.
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Também atraí as avós.
08:31
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
08:32
In my community, grandmothers
are the proud keepers
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Na minha comunidade,
as avós são as orgulhosas guardadoras
das nossas histórias e cultura,
08:35
of our stories and cultures,
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08:38
and I wanted my girls to learn
and embrace our rich Maasai culture.
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e eu queria que minhas meninas aprendessem
e abraçassem a rica cultura massai.
Hoje, as avós fazem sessões
de contação de histórias com as meninas,
08:43
Today, grandmothers
do story time with the girls,
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08:46
and it's a beautiful way
our community remains connected.
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uma bela forma de manter
nossa comunidade unida.
08:51
I also ...
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Eu também...
comecei a trabalhar com os meninos!
08:53
started working with the boys!
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08:55
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
08:56
What would happen
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O que aconteceria
08:57
if the boys grew up with the same
mindset as their fathers before them?
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se os meninos crescessem
com a mesma mentalidade de seus pais?
09:02
I'll tell you, not much will change.
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Pra falar a verdade,
não mudaria muita coisa.
09:05
So I enlisted support from an organization
called I'm Worth Defending:
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Então, pedi ajuda a uma organização
chamada "I'm Worth Defending",
09:10
a group of young, progressive leaders
led by Alfred and George.
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um grupo de líderes jovens e progressistas
coordenados por Alfred e George.
09:15
Together we created
a training program for boys and girls
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Juntos, criamos um programa educativo
para meninos e meninas
09:18
who could not attend my school,
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que não podiam frequentar a minha escola,
09:21
sharing vital information
about gender equality,
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compartilhando informações vitais
sobre igualdade de gênero,
09:25
health and human rights.
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saúde e direitos humanos.
Hoje, já alcançamos mais de 10 mil meninos
e meninas, e continuamos crescendo.
09:28
Today we have reached
over 10,000 boys and girls and counting.
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09:33
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
09:40
It turns out it truly does take a village
to make this kind of a dream come true.
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Realmente é preciso um vilarejo inteiro
pra realizar esse tipo de sonho.
09:45
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
09:47
That's what you're seeing today,
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1684
É isso que vocês estão vendo hoje:
09:48
where nearly 400 girls
have not gone through FGM
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quase 400 meninas que não foram
submetidas à MGF em meu vilarejo,
09:53
in my village,
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09:54
in a region where nearly 80 percent
of women have been cut.
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numa região onde quase 80%
das mulheres são mutiladas.
10:00
Believe me, these girls,
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Acreditem, essas meninas,
10:03
they are sharing their experiences
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elas compartilham suas experiências
10:05
with their sisters,
their cousins and their friends.
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com suas irmãs, primas e amigas.
10:09
They're so interested.
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Elas estão muito interessadas!
10:13
Over time, this is becoming the new normal
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Com o tempo, essa tem se tornado
a nova realidade,
10:15
and it's being embraced
by the same, same community --
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e está sendo abraçada
pela mesma comunidade...
10:19
my community.
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minha comunidade.
10:21
So what does transforming
communities mean to Kenya?
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Então, o que transformar comunidades
significa para o Quênia?
10:27
President Obama visited Kenya in 2015,
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O presidente Obama
visitou o Quênia em 2015,
10:30
and he met with representatives
from organizations
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e se encontrou com
representantes de organizações
10:34
trying to help improve communities.
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para tentar ajudar a melhorar comunidades.
10:37
Guess what?
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Adivinhem só.
10:39
He met Linet!
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Ele conheceu Linet!
10:40
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
10:42
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
10:49
Together they talked about a Kenya
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Eles conversaram sobre um Quênia
10:52
where all girls
have the same opportunities,
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em que todas as meninas
tenham as mesmas oportunidades,
10:56
where Linet is a leader
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em que Linet seja uma líder
10:58
and where communities
like Enoosaen are thriving
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e em que comunidades
como Enoosaen sejam prósperas
11:01
because its members --
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porque seus membros,
todos os seus membros,
11:02
all its members -- have opportunities.
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têm oportunidades.
Ajudar as comunidades a verem
que cada filha é um tesouro,
11:05
Helping the communities see
that each daughter is a treasure,
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11:09
every sister is full of potential,
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que cada irmã é cheia de potencial,
11:12
and helping every single girl
see that value in herself.
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e ajudar cada menina
a enxergar esse valor em si mesma...
11:16
There is no limit
to what that future will cost.
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não há limites para o que
esse futuro trará.
11:21
Not every girl who comes
to my school will be a PhD,
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Nem toda menina que entra
em minha escola se tornará doutora,
11:26
but every single one of them
will achieve her full potential
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mas cada uma delas
desenvolverá seu pleno potencial
11:31
and will become an advocate
for her children
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3101
e se tornará uma defensora de suas filhas
11:34
and her grandchildren for years to come.
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e de suas netas por vários anos.
11:38
Today my dreams are informed
by what I learned from them
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Hoje, meus sonhos se baseiam
no que aprendi com elas
11:42
and what I've learned from you.
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e no que aprendi com vocês.
11:44
My journey led me
out of Enoosaen and back again.
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Minha jornada me levou
a deixar Enoosaen e a voltar para lá.
Durante esse processo,
11:49
And in the process,
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fui abraçada pelo mundo
11:50
I was embraced by the world,
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1750
11:53
and you have become my village.
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e vocês se tornaram minha comunidade.
11:55
So I make a new promise to you,
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Então, faço uma nova promessa a vocês,
11:57
my elders, my sisters and my friends,
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às minhas irmãs, amigos e anciãos:
12:01
that I am going to keep
dreaming and keep going
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continuarei sonhando e seguindo em frente,
12:05
until girls like Linet and Faith
achieve their dreams
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até que meninas como Linet e Faith
realizem seus sonhos
12:09
and I see mine:
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e que eu realize o meu:
12:11
that all communities
give every single woman
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o de que todas as comunidades
proporcionem a cada mulher
12:16
and every single girl
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e a cada menina
12:18
their dreams come true.
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a possibilidade de realizarem seus sonhos.
12:20
Thank you.
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Obrigada.
12:21
(Applause and cheers)
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(Aplausos) (Vivas)
Obrigada, obrigada.
12:26
Thank you, thank you.
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12:28
(Applause and cheers)
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(Aplausos) (Vivas)
Translated by Leonardo Silva
Reviewed by Raissa Mendes

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kakenya Ntaiya - Educator and activist
Kakenya Ntaiya refused to accept the continued oppression of women in her Maasai village -- so she built a school that's shifting gender expectations in her community.

Why you should listen

Kakenya Ntaiya was set to follow the traditional path of girls born in the small village of Enoosaen, Kenya. Engaged at the age of 5, she was to participate in a female circumcision ceremony as a young teenager and then be married. But she had a different plan. First, she negotiated with her father and willingly agree to be circumcised -- only if he would allow her to finish high school. Later, when she was accepted to Randolph-Macon Women's College in Viriginia, she negotiated with her village elders to do what no girl had ever done before: leave her village to go to college in the United States.

She didn’t leave forever, though. Deeply proud of her heritage and of her community, Ntaiya returned to the village after school and worked with her elders to establish a school for girls there. The Kakenya Center for Excellence was established in 2009 with 32 students. A primary grade boarding school just for girls, the curriculum focuses on academics, leadership and female empowerment, along with cultural preservation and life skills. While families that can afford tuition do, Ntaiya also works with donors to provide scholarships for others.

In addition to her work with the school, Ntaiya is also a National Geographic emerging explorer. 

More profile about the speaker
Kakenya Ntaiya | Speaker | TED.com