We know educating one girl changes the world in ways big and small. So, what happens when we educate groups of 50 girls?
The change is powerful! And it has begun.
Thanks to generous grant support, Kenya Works launched The Transformative Power of Education Pilot Initiative at the beginning of the 2024 school year.
We worked with educators and leaders from Magadi and Migori to identify two teams—50 girls from each area. The project will provide sponsorship for all 100 girls for four years of secondary school. The students will also be supported with a mentorship program.
In both regions, girls are commonly not encouraged or allowed to complete their education. It is expected they will marry at a young age. Some communities also practice female genital mutilation (FGM) as a right of passage to signify a girl is ready for marriage. Girls generally have no power in these rights-violating decisions.
Until now.
Watch the video to hear from Hope, one of our new students!
Parent Training for Sustainable Change
The parents of each of our 100 students are also part of the program. This month, parent workshops were held to equip families with the knowledge and skills necessary to safeguard their daughters from harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriages and teenage pregnancies, while supporting the girls’ academic goals.
Through a series of informative presentations and group discussions, parents gained valuable insight into the root causes and harmful effects of gender-based violence on individuals and communities.
Kenya Works students who are in their gap term between secondary school and university are working with our team to help train parents and mentor the new student groups. Elevating youth voices is another powerful strategy in localizing messages of change that unlock girls’ opportunities.
By the end of the workshops, parents wrote their declarations to their daughters to safeguard them from harmful practices.
Parents from the Magadi region (left) and the Migori region (right) display their declarations of support for their daughters written at the end of parent workshops.