Christine Murage
Christine is a trained educator and a community programmes curator. She believes that access to quality education is a right, not a privilege. Inspired by her work in rural schools and experiences with learning inequalities for girls, Christine interrogates systemic gaps in education, and advocates for equitable access and increased funding for education in rural and marginalised schools.
“As an educator and advocate of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (ensuring quality education), I believe that education is a right for every child. Yet for many, this depends on circumstance. This prompts the question: who are we still leaving outside the classroom? This led me to Greenland Girls School. I wanted to understand what it truly takes for teenage mothers to return to school and thrive.
Walking through the school changed my perspective on what school re-entry really means. I thought I was reporting on education policy. Instead, I found myself listening to deeply personal stories of courage, heartbreak and hope. I was trusted with experiences of rejection, sexual violence, child marriage and harmful cultural practices. Some conversations were emotional; I remember ending one with a hug. What stayed with me most was these girls’ determination to keep learning. Their openness was a reminder that behind every statistic is a young girl with potential and an unwavering desire for a better future.
Equally inspiring was the community around these girls. Caregivers lovingly looking after children so their mothers could concentrate in class, teachers refusing to let motherhood define a student’s future and school leaders working with families and communities to challenge harmful perceptions. I left with a deep appreciation that a second chance is created by people who choose, every day, to replace stigma with support. I hope this story encourages policymakers, educators, communities and development partners to look beyond school re-entry as a policy and see it as a shared responsibility.”