Salma Mohamed, a Kisa Scholar from Weruweru Secondary School, is determined to become a doctor someday. As a result, she is pursuing science subjects: physics, chemistry and biology.
Her father is married to two wives, and Salma is the seventh child to her father and the second to her mother. She has two sisters and four brothers.
When I spoke to Salma recently, she shared with me that she is hard working at school because she believes she is responsible for her family. She told me that she is unhappy about her older sister’s recent wedding. Her sister was supposed to go to Mzumbe University, but unfortunately she did not. Instead she recently got married to a wealthy old man. The wedding happened while Salma was at school and no one informed her about it. Salma had no choice but to cope with the situation.
“I was shocked by this news! My sister has always been such a good example for me and my siblings. I did not expect her to agree to this decision,” lamented Salma.
Salma says Kisa Classes have had a great impact on her life and she plans to use what she has learned in Kisa to give back to her family and her community. Salma says she believes she can help her sister go back to school, or even become engaged in entrepreneurship activities by sharing different lessons from the Kisa Curriculum. Challenging the status quo, social entrepreneurship skills, and leadership principles are all lessons that she can pass along to her sister.
Salma is very grateful for Kisa because she can change the status quo in her family about getting married at a young age, to an old man, without first completing one’s education. “Kisa will also help me to be a role model to my family and community. I will be the change I wish to see.”
