In Kenya, 6/10 out of school children come from poor families. In the Kibera Slums of Nairobi, Kenya, they are the poorest of the poor. And girls are at the greatest risk of dropping out. Pass the Mic! is unique, four-year leadership development program for primary school and secondary girls studying in the informal schools in Kibera. Pass the Mic! will target girls, who are most at risk due to academic challenges, and provide them with holistic support daily after school.
In Kenya, only 45% of girls attend school. Scholarship programs understandably, target the brightest and the best. But this means that girls under-performing in school, often through no fault of their own, find their only options are child marriage, prostitution or sexual exploitation. Child marriage accounts for 5% of primary school dropouts and child pregnancy for a horrifying 40%. Child pregnancy has appalling mother and baby mortality rates.
Girls will reach grade level or higher in literacy and numeracy, by workshops which incorporate learning computer skills, art and design. The books they create will be distributed in partner schools, reaching over 500 students. They will also be sold in Nairobi to generate funding to make this program self-sustainable. Our project protects girls' safety by providing them with a safe environment and secure future, while raising their self-esteem and confidence. They will dare to dream.
Pass the Mic! empowers young female leaders to become change agents in their community. For the first 160 girls who will directly participate in the project, and for all those to come, it means avoiding child marriage, sexual violence, teen pregnancy, prostitution and HIV. With the skills and confidence gained in the program, they will be able to continue their education, earn a higher income, and by spreading their knowledge and books, they will assist in improving women's situation in Kibera.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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