Thanks to Yahoo! employee and long-time Daraja advocate Minoo Ayat, the Yahoo! Employee Foundation has granted the Daraja Academy funds to help get internet on campus. "Once I learned about my company's foundation, I had to make sure Daraja was in the running for a grant." We are glad she did! After a two-month application
Hi! I'm Mark. I am one of the volunteers here at Daraja this month. 9am on every Sunday at Daraja is Spiritual Time. Three classrooms become improvised houses of worship—one for Catholics, one for Protestants, and one for Muslims. I remember discussions from almost three years ago in which we wondered how we would accommodate
Hi! I'm Giulia! This is a summary of my first week at Daraja from a volunteer's perspective. My husband Mark and I came to Kenya for one reason only. To meet our 77 girls! Our friends Jenni and Jason had a big dream…to start a secondary school in Kenya for girls who otherwise wouldn’t have
The brand new freshman class arrived on campus last Friday, February 25th, and the day was filled with love and excitement. The number one comment from the students and staff about the new arrivals? "They are so little!" We are so excited to welcome these new students to Daraja Academy. For the next four years,
Name: Maria Catherine Kelly Age: 30 Hometown: San Diego, CA Education: BA in Anthropology from University of San Diego Occupation: Full-time graduate student. Currently working on Masters in Teaching, International Relations and Social Sciences through University of San Diego. What type of work are you doing at Daraja Academy? My thesis is on student self-efficacy beliefs
Throughout the selection process, co-founder Jenni Doherty has sent reports from the field. Her reports have given us insight into one of the most important aspects of the school: the student selection process. INTERVIEWS IN THE LOCAL AREA When we last left you, the student selection team had gone to Nakuru to interview students from
To many of us, Valentine's Day is just another holiday on the calendar. A day when men scramble to make sure they get the right gift. A day when girls say they "don't want flowers" (which actually translates to: you should know to get me flowers even if I say I don't want them). But
On January 8th, Daraja Academy's sophomores and juniors began their first day of school of the 2011 school year! Feeling rejuvenated after a well-deserved one month break, the student body seemed more attentive than ever. "It feels great to see the girls respond so well in class," says science teacher Peris. Now that the sophomores
On 10/10/10, the Daraja students, volunteers and staff had a fantastic day creating adobe bricks that would eventually be used for the construction of a new shed for the garden. That day, however, was only the beginning as the shed required a lot of time and hard work to be built. 18-year-old volunteer Cora Went worked
On December 1st, the students went to the nearby orphanage to offer their services in honor of World AIDS Day. The students were only supposed to stay for a few hours, but they refused to leave until they completed all the chores! They displayed a great attitude and energy the entire day. It was indeed
What's it like to be a student at Daraja Academy? Sophomore student Maureen, pictured above, provides a glimpse into her life: Monday, November 22nd 6:00 am: Wake Up! 6:00 am - 7:00 am: Dress in school uniform and do my duties like cleaning my dorm room, which I share with three other students. 7:00 am
The entry below has been written by Daraja volunteer Cora Went (top picture, far left). Cora coordinated last Sunday's 10/10/10 Adobe Festival. Read about the fantastic day from her perspective... On October 10, 2010 – 10.10.10 – people from all over the world hosted work parties, somehow doing work to fight climate change. At Daraja Academy,
