By Issa Hussein - Reporter
17 May 2026 - At just 18, while many of her peers are still figuring out their future, Kouthar Jibril Mohamud has already added “author” to her name.
The second-year Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) student on Sunday launched her debut book, "The Light of Learning", in a colourful event at Garissa Town.
The book, she said, is a powerful piece aimed at inspiring pastoralist girls to break barriers that continue to lock many out of classrooms and leadership spaces.
For Kouthar, the launch was more than a literary milestone. It was the fulfilment of a dream she had quietly nurtured for five years.
"My hope is to inspire women from the region to recognise their strength, enhance their potential, and never stop learning,” she told a packed hall during the colourful launch attended by students, lecturers, county officials and local leaders.
Soft-spoken but confident, Kouthar spoke passionately about the struggles girls from conservative and marginalised communities face in pursuing education.
In her book, she explores the resilience of women who challenged stereotypes and rose to prominence in education, politics, science and business despite overwhelming odds.
She draws inspiration from global icons including Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, the late environmentalist Prof Wangari Maathai and Indian business leader Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
“Malala’s courage in the face of danger continues to inspire me,” she said.
Kouthar’s own journey mirrors the message she now shares with other girls.
After completing secondary school, she joined KMTC Garissa Campus to pursue Orthopaedics and Trauma Medicine — a course rarely taken by girls from pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya.
“At first the field seemed daunting, but later it became my passion,” she said.
The young author says her mission goes beyond personal success. She wants girls to see themselves as future leaders, professionals and agents of social change.
“We are surrounded by a society that feels women belong to stay at home. We must challenge this narrative with courage,” she told the enthusiastic audience, drawing applause from the crowd.
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Her achievement moved many at the event, including lecturers who described her as a trailblazer for young people in the region.
Abdullahi Mohamed Nur, Head of Orthopaedics and Trauma Medicine at KMTC Garissa Campus, said Kouthar had set an example for students across the country.
“She will act as a role model to other KMTC students countrywide to become authors at a young age and contribute inspiring stories to society,” he said.
Garissa County Director of Public Health Abdullahi Daud, who was the chief guest, praised the teenager for using her voice to champion education for girls.
“This book will inspire many girls from the region to pursue education despite existing challenges,” he said.
Former Garissa County Assembly Majority Leader Ibrahim Abdi Guhat noted that the publication comes at a time when gender disparity in education remains a major challenge in pastoralist communities due to deep-rooted cultural barriers.
“The book will inspire many in a region where the gender gap for the girl child has remained wide for long,” he said.
Among those captivated by Kouthar’s story was 14-year-old Maryam Abdinasir, a Grade 9 pupil at Safa School in Garissa.
“A girl with a book is a girl with a voice, a vision, and a future,” she said with admiration.
“This launch is proof that dreams are valid when courage meets determination.”
As the audience queued for signed copies, Kouthar smiled quietly — perhaps aware that her greatest chapter may only just be beginning.