Dr Kulea, an anti-female genital mutilation and gender activist, is the founder and executive director of the Samburu Girls Foundation.

The priest rescued a 10-year-old girl in Dr Kulea's class who was going to be forced into early marriage.

Looking back, Dr Kulea's first rescue mission was her cousin and this paved the way for her dedication to rescuing girls from child marriages, beading and FGM.

When the foundation got a solid footing, Dr Kulea found a place to take the girls in Loosuk area, south of Maralal.

The foundation focuses on education and psychosocial support for the rescued girls and an outreach programme that seeks to raise awareness about child protection and teaching communities about the Constitution and girls' rights.