Support girls' education and end FGM in Kenya

Earlier in January, the Kenyan government released scores for their mandated national exams. These exams—the Kenya Certificate for Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education (KCSE)—are critical for the high school and university placement of our eighth and 12th graders, respectively. We are extremely proud of both our KCE I and KCE II students for their outstanding scores this year! On the KCPE, our eighth graders scored comparably to the class of 2021, who achieved the highest exam scores in Kakenya’s Dream history! On the KCSE, 25 of our 12th graders scored high enough to earn automatic admission to university.

Over the December holidays, our community partner, an organization called I’m Worth Defending, put on a week-long self-defense workshop at our KCE I campus. The workshop had a total of 160 participants, which included our students as well as students from other schools in the community. Extracurricular programs like these are especially important over the holidays; research shows that girls in Kenya are at the highest risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) during this time, since the long break from school lets them heal from the illegal procedure without drawing attention. This highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to education that goes beyond mere class attendance. We strive for holistic learning and growth for our girls, which they achieve through life-skills training, health education, and community service.

Finally, let us recognize the outstanding achievement of two of our students: on November 30, two KCE II students attended the National Science & Technology Exhibition of Young Scientists Kenya in Nairobi, where they took home second place in the biology and ecology category. We have a variety of STEM offerings at our schools to help students discover their career interests, which is why our KCE II campus comes equipped with a dedicated science lab—a facility that is rare for rural schools. Congratulations to Ann-Clare and Leah! 

This was the result of their hard work and talent, but they would never have had the opportunity to prove themselves without supporters like you. Thank you for your continued partnership; we look forward to sharing more updates with you in a few months!