Education Kenya Project #54306

Radio Education for Rural Girls in Kenya

by Lifeline Energy

Summary

The Esila (for girls in Maasai) project provides vulnerable Kenyan girls with Fenix solar-radio lights to listen to school lessons. Curriculum-based lessons for grades 1-7 are aired by our partner, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. The rate of girls missing school and falling behind a year due to family responsibilities, poverty, their periods or early pregnancy remains alarmingly high. With the light girls can study or walk safely at night. Girls & their families can stay informed about Covid-19.

$10,000
total goal

$9,865
remaining

5
donors

1
monthly donor

3
years

Challenge

Many schoolgirls in rural Kenya miss weeks of school each year due to the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products or to menstrual pain. Far too many are held back a grade, some get pregnant, some drop out. The Esila project will help more than 5000 grade 6 and 7 girls keep up in school while receiving menstrual products from local NGO Bethel Network. Girls are able to attend school during their periods, or listen to school lessons when at home. Poor families do not have radios.

Solution

Lifeline Energy in collaboration with the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and Bethel Network is providing solar & windup radio-lights that allow girls (& their families) to listen school lessons and other valuable info programs on Covid, etc. The light enables girls to do homework at night or walk safely. Menstrual hygiene products and underwear offer girls dignity. Poor households can't afford radios or the batteries to power them, nor can they afford the ongoing cost of sanitary pads.

Long-Term Impact

This project isn't touching just one aspect of poverty, it's touching several. Poor rural Kenyan households do not have money for menstrual hygiene products or underwear for their daughters. They many not even have water to wash out rags. Girls feel humiliated during their periods. A supply of sanitary pads, underwear plus adolescent education for girls (& boys) helps give girls dignity. When the need to stay at home, they don't need to fall behind as the radio receives the school lessons.