Educate and Empower Girls in Rural Kenya

The last quarter of 2023 was a very positive one for our partner schools and we look forward to further progress in 2024.

Last year feedback from girls in Year 1 of all 16 schools showed that 95% had experienced a free and good learning environment. There were no records of in-school gender-based violence, which is testament to our funded initiatives particularly the mentorship programs where teachers have individual meet ups with the girls. As girls felt safe in school, they were able to be motivated and focus on their studies. This shows that the funded education and teacher training has enabled teachers to guide girls, protect them and encourage learning and professional development. 

On the rare occasions where pregnancies did occur, funded one-to-one talks with mentors have enabled every girl to see the value of education and continue their studies postnatally. Financial support has also enabled girls such as Moira A (name changed for protection) to seek criminal justice against her neighbour who sexually attached her. 

Community education is key in addressing gender-based violence and gender inequality issues, feedback found that 135 parents were visited by Twende Pamoja’s community team and that the vast majority of parents encouraged their daughters to participate in STEM. Huge steps have been made in the investment of equality of education for girls particularly in areas of collaboration, partnership and linking with government departments on county and sub-county events and activities in girl’s education and activism against GBV and inequality. 

Finally, interim reports from our STEM clubs in each of the 16 partner schools show that 64% of both girls and boys are either meeting their study expectations or excelling them and only 3% of girls and 4% of boys are falling below their study expectations. 

Overall girls are showing increasing confidence in their academic ability, improved gender balance in school, achievement and engagement in extracurricular activities, particularly in ICT and STEM. There is progress to be made, it is a long journey, but steps so far are extremely encouraging. 

Go girls! Thank you so much for supporting our schools, our teachers and our communities. 

Links:

• See our website

Hello again everyone!

We are very excited to update you on one of the fantastic empowerment projects being delivered to young girls in Ndhiwa. 

In the month of July, Twende Pamoja delivered digital training to girls accross all 16 partner schools with sessions focused on internet browsers and girls' rights and responsibilites. 

Under the guidance of our fantastic project leaders Melvin and Grace, the primary focus was to empower the girls with essential digital skills while utilising internet browsers as a tool to explore and understand their rights and responsibilities.

The training aimed to equip the girls with knowledge about their rights as children, instil a sense of responsibility both at school and home, and introduce them to valuable wealth of online resources available through internet browsing. 

During the training, the girls delved into the fundamental aspects of basic child rights and responsibilities, gaining valuable insights through engaing in group discussions.They learned how to navigate internet browsers like Google Chrome, conducting searches to explore child-friendly resources and articles on their
rights. They also discovered the importance of being responsible and respectful individuals in their homes, schools, and communities.

The training further involved exploring relevant YouTube videos to gain a deeper understanding of child rights violations and their impact. Emphasis was placed on online safety and responsible digital citizenship, empowering the girls to recognize and report harmful content while promoting critical thinking and fact-checking skills.

As a result of the training, the girls were able to demonstrate a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities, showing confidence in applying them in various real-life scenarios.

The use of engaging videos helped make the learning experience enriching and enjoyable, while also instilling an understanding of their rights and responsibilities as children. Group discussions and activities were conducted encouraging active participation and open communication to help build the girls' confidence.

The girls' enthusiasm and eagerness to learn during the training sessions were truly heartening and indicative of its success. Their active engagement throughout the training was a true testament to their willingness to absorb and apply the knowledge.

The training sessions were interactive, engaging, and highly impactful. The girls displayed great enthusiasm and active participation, thoroughly enjoying the experience. With further support for our project, we will be able to provide more empowerment sessions for these young individuals with the ability to find valuable information and recognize child rights violations effectively.

Together, we can build a generation of informed, confident, and empowered young girls who will make a positive impact on society. 

Thank you!