In November, all 8th graders in Kenya sat for their KCPEs, the national primary school exam. The KCPE tests students on material from the past five years of primary school and the exam results determine the students' high school placement. Getting a high score on the KCPE is vital if a student is looking to attend a nationally ranked high school, which all our students aspire to. This year, we had 32 8th grade girls who all took the KCPE. They spent the months before the exam diligently reviewing the material and getting extra tutoring in subjects they struggled with. Our teachers, program staff, and parents all rallied together to support the students as best they could, encouraging them and printing practice test after practice test to help the girls familiarize themselves with the test's format and question style.
After three long days of exams, the girls waited anxiously to get their scores back. They, their parents, and the entire community was delighted when we finally received the students' reports, which showed that the Kakenya Center for Excellence once again achieved scores much higher than the national average. Only 25% of students nationally scored above 300 points on the exam, while all but 4 of our students scored above that mark (with the other four only missing the 300 point cut off by a few points.) In addition, 5 of our students scored above 350 points, which placed them in the top 7% of students nationally. With these scores our students have qualified for nationally ranked high schools and the community is celebrating their successes. I'm excited to see what these young women accomplish in high school and beyond, and can't wait to tell you about their future achievements.
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Last Wednesday, October 11th, marked the 6th annual International Day of the Girl. The United Nations has recognized this day since 2012 as a way to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. This is a special day for Kakenya’s Dream, as it gives our students a chance to connect with other girls in the community, to learn about the importance of advocacy, and to lift their voices together in support of girls' rights.
This year, we celebrated by hosting over 500 local girls at the Kakenya Center for Excellence. The girls lauched the celebration with an art contest. which allowed them to conceptualize and creatively represent their vision for a bright future. The girls dream of becoming doctors, nurses, pilots, judges, engineers, journalists, and teachers and more, and they painted beautiful pictures of these dreams.
Later, the girls and teachers were joined by parents and members of the community. Together, they marched through the streets and market in the local village to raise awareness and to demand better opportunities and conditions for girls in Kenya and around the world.
Following the march, the participants shared a meal together on our campus. Cicilia Maito, a member of the county executive committee of Narok County and the first woman to lead the Trade, Industrialization and Cooperative Development committee, challenged the girls to be financially independent and to live up to their potential through hard work. County assembly member Mark Mukut addressed the group, as well, and pledged to invest in more opportunities for local girls.
By the end of the day, there were many of pledges and commitments by the girls and community attendees. Our collective challenge now is to hold ourselves and others accountable to these promises, to invest in girls and bring about systematic change for girls in Kenya and everywhere.
Thank you, as always, for being a fellow supporter of girls' education and empowerment. We could not do this life-changing work without you!
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I hope you have had a wonderful summer! Our girls in Enoosaen continued with their academic schedule through the summer months, with a three-week holiday period in August. As they return for their final term of the year, I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you.
Last November, I spoke with more than 250 girls hoping for one of the 40 spots in 2017’s fourth grade class. Most of these girls would be the first in their families to finish primary school. My heart breaks turning any girl away, knowing that without our support, they will undergo female genital mutilation and early child marriage. This reality motivates me to dream bigger. As we look toward the rest of this year and into 2018, I am thrilled to announce that Kakenya’s Dream is launching an expansion campaign to reach even more youth with life-changing education and training through our three programs.
We are building a new K-12 school campus, tripling the number of girls we are able to enroll each year. Construction will begin soon, and our first class of 9th graders will enter our new high school program in early 2018. These girls will have access to high-quality secondary education, with state-of-the art science laboratories, a computer lab, and a large library. The campus will also include a youth-friendly health clinic, ensuring adolescents across the community can access vital services and resources. We will create three early childhood learning centers, one on the new campus and two in neighboring villages, giving hundreds of young children from kindergarten through third grade a solid academic foundation. This will be a locally-sourced, eco-friendly campus incorporating community members and local businesses in its construction.
As always, thank you so much for your support. Your gifts are truly changing the lives of young girls in Kenya and providing them access to quality education and a bright future.
With Gratitude,
Kakenya
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Eight years ago, KCE completed the first building on our campus. It was small, with space for only one classroom, but it provided a safe environment for our first 26 students to learn and grow.
Today, more than 180 girls call the KCE campus home. They live in comfortable dormitories, learn in bright classrooms, and eat and play in the spacious multi-purpose hall. KCE’s newest space—the brand new library—is the final piece in our campus puzzle. After months of careful planning and construction, the library was completed at the end of March. The many shelves, movable tables, and bright blue chairs make the library a perfect space for our growing scholars to learn, create, and collaborate.
Our girls love to read, so it's no surprise that the new library is already the busiest place on campus. Students of all ages drop by to find new books to read, to finish their homework, and to study with their peers.
Teachers are also already utilizing the new space. As soon as the library opened, English teacher Mr. Okello brought his 7th graders to the library to practice their reading comprehension skills. He says the library’s setup allows the girls to help each other learn and work side-by-side. He also looks forward to seeing more books added to the shelves, which will encourage his students to read more for pleasure.
As shelves fill and time passes, we can’t wait to witness the positive impact the new library will have on our growing scholars and community. Thank you for being a part of our community and for helping make new facilities like the library possible. Our girls' lives have been changed forever by people like you!
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Hello from Enoosaen and from all our girls at the Kakenya Center for Excellence!
Our year is off to a great start, with 186 students in grades 4-8 -- the largest study body we have ever had! In January, we welcomed our new class of fourth graders into the KCE family. They were all equipped with uniforms and learning materials and are now settled into life at our school. We are so excited to see their transformation as they grow in confidence and knowledge in a nurturing, all-girls environment.
After a short mid-term break, the girls returned to campus this week and are back in their daily academic and extracurricular routines. We are especially looking forward to two exciting upcoming events in the second half of the term. First, our brand new school library is nearing completion, which will give the girls a quiet place to study provide a new home for our supply of literature. Second, the season of athletic competitions has begun, and our girls are doing very well in volleyball and netball. They are heading to regional competitions next week, and we can’t wait to cheer them on!
Last week, on March 8th, our girls in Enoosaen joined with women and men around the world to celebrate International Women’s Day. They marked the occasion by sharing their hopes and dreams for the year 2030. We are so inspired by their personal ambitions and also for their vision for a better world – one of equal opportunity and dignity for all. As our friends and supporters, we wanted to share some of these dreams with you. Your support is making it possible for our girls to dream big and to believe that they can achieve their goals.
Thank you, as always, for believing in our mission to transform the lives of vulnerable girls through education!
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