By Jennica Sehorn | Program Director
In January, a new academic year began at Kakenya Center for Excellence. We were thrilled to welcome an incoming class of 33 fourth grade students to the school, bringing us to full enrollment with 155 girls in grades 4-8. This year will be an exciting one for KCE -- our first class of 8th graders will graduate in December and go on to high school in 2014. They are working hard to prepare for the national exams that take place at the end of the year and determine which high schools the girls will be eligible to attend. They are performing among the best in the district, and we are so proud of how far they have come!
February was a flurry of activity. Kakenya Center for Excellence had a special visit from the CNN Heroes crew, who came to see our school in Enoosaen, meet the girls, and talk with community members, parents, and teachers about the impact of the school in the village. During CNN’s visit to KCE, we were able to provide all 155 of our girls with their new uniforms for the year. The students also received new textbooks for each school subject. Parents were able to attend this distribution as well, after coming to the campus for a parent meeting with Kakenya to be updated on their daughters’ progress. It was a joyful time as the girls proudly donned their uniform shirts, dresses, sweaters, socks, and leather shoes. For some of our 4th graders, this was the first time they had ever received brand new clothing.
… And in March, following the CNN crew’s visit to our school, our own Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya was recognized as a CNN Hero! We are so pleased that her work has been honored in this way. As more and more people learn about the struggles that many girls face to pursue an education, we are gaining momentum in our mission to end harmful cultural practices and provide all girls with educational opportunities. We are so grateful for individuals like you who believe in our work and join with us to keep our girls smiling, dreaming, and growing into future leaders.
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