Educate girls and fight poverty in Kenya

December 2025 marked a powerful milestone for Women’s Global Education Project (WGEP). A record 1,171 girls participated in Alternative Rite of Passage (ARP) ceremonies, making it the largest ARP in our history, and preventing 1,171 cases of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

In the rural communities where we work in Kenya, harmful practices like FGM/C are often deeply rooted in tradition and seen as a necessary step into womanhood. But too often, they lead to early marriage, school dropout, and long-term health consequences—cutting short a girl’s opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.

Through ARP, WGEP, and our local partners—Tharaka Women’s Welfare Programme, HOPE for Girls Education Africa, and Enkishon Sidai Africa—are working hand-in-hand with communities to redefine what it means for girls to transition into adulthood. Together, they are replacing harm with empowerment and fear with opportunity.

ARP is more than a ceremony—it’s a transformative educational experience. Girls engage in intensive training on reproductive health, bodily autonomy, leadership, communication, and decision-making. They are equipped with the tools to advocate for themselves, stay in school, and pursue their goals with confidence.

This work is central to WGEP’s mission to educate girls and break the cycle of poverty. When girls are able to stay in school and avoid harmful practices, they are more likely to delay marriage, increase their lifetime earnings, and reinvest in their families and communities—creating a ripple effect that spans generations.

Because of your support, more girls than ever are stepping into their futures safe, educated, and empowered to lead change.

Women’s Global Education Project (WGEP) is strengthening its work in Kenya through a new partnership with the Strong Maasai Ladies Association (SMALA), a grassroots women-led organization based in Kajiado County. This collaboration directly supports the core goals of our GlobalGiving project: ensuring girls stay in school, reducing poverty, and protecting vulnerable children from harmful practices that undermine their education and futures.

In many Maasai communities, poverty, early marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remain major barriers preventing girls from continuing their education. Women also face limited economic opportunities and high rates of gender-based violence, which further entrench poverty at the household level. SMALA was founded by local Maasai women who intimately understand these challenges and work daily to address them through education support, safe shelter, mentorship, and economic empowerment.

Since SMALA first launched, the organization has already begun to help strengthen school retention for girls at risk of FGM and early marriage, expanded outreach to families and elders, and provided skills-building opportunities for young mothers. Their community-based approach is essential in regions where cultural norms and economic hardship intersect, limiting girls’ chances of completing school.

Through this partnership, we are reaching deeper into remote communities where girls experience persistent obstacles to education. Our combined efforts are improving school access, enhancing women’s economic resilience, and reducing the systemic barriers that keep families in poverty. When girls remain in school, they gain the tools to break cycles of poverty not only for themselves, but for their entire communities.

Links:

• http://womensglobal.org
• https://www.youtube.com/@marysupeetshow/