Neipamei Ngodia is the only girl in her family of 18 children and three mothers to go to high school. At 14 years old, she refused to be circumsized (which leads directly into marriage), and was outcast by family and friends for her choice of school over marriage. Now 16, Neipamei is determined to become a surgeon, and to return to her Maasai village so she can serve people where they are most comfortable -- at home, speaking their native language with a doctor who understands not only their illness but also their culture. Neipamei understands much more than most 16 year olds, and dreams bigger than her society would like. Being in her presence feels both like standing alongside a gentle soul and a locomotive -- she will not be stopped, smiling all the way home.
Video by Kate Cummings. Location: Enoosaen, Kenya. Partner: Vital Voices, 2009.
Tags: Africa, Enoosaen, female genital mutilation, FGM, girls education, Kakenya, Kenya, Neipamei, women's rights
