Among the Pokot tribe in rural Kenya, parents arrange marriages for their daughters at the beginning of their adolescence – without discussing it with them.

Reuters photojournalist Siegfried Modola, who has previously documented female genital mutilation among the tribe, has returned to Baringo County. His photos show a young girl who tried to escape when she realised she was to be married without her consent.

The first she knew of the wedding was when a group of men arrived with a dowry of livestock in exchange for her, comprising 20 goats, three camels and 10 cows.

pokot kenya marriage
A man holds a girl as she tries to escape after discovering she is to to be married Siegfried Modola/Reuters
pokot kenya marriage
A man grabs a girl to bring her back to her family home after she tried to escape Siegfried Modola/Reuters
pokot kenya marriage
Pokot men lead a girl to be married to a member of their community Siegfried Modola/Reuters
pokot kenya marriage
Pokot men stand near the home of a girl who is to be taken as wife for a member of their group Siegfried Modola/Reuters
pokot kenya marriage
A man inspects a dowry of cows received for his daughter's hand in an arranged marriage Siegfried Modola/Reuters

In the Pokot tradition, girls are ready for marriage after undergoing an initiation ceremony marking their passing over into womanhood.

pokot kenya marriage
Siegfried Modola/Reuters
pokot kenya marriage
Pokot girls wearing beads and with their faces painted walk towards a hut where they will be secluded, out of sight of the men in the community Siegfried Modola/Reuters
pokot kenya marriage
A Pokot man holds a lamb as he blesses over a hundred girls during an initiation ceremony marking the girls' passing over into womanhood Siegfried Modola/Reuters
pokot kenya marriage
Pokot girls attired with traditional beads stand in a circle during an initiation ceremony Siegfried Modola/Reuters
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