A vision Jenni and Jason Doherty had for the Daraja Academy was to create a “little Kenya” on campus, a population of students representing the country's many unique cultures. When Kenya’s boundaries were drawn, over 40 different tribes inhabited its land – tribes with different cultural practices, religions and languages – which, at times, has
By Olivia Capra Two years after my first visit to Daraja, the opportunity came for me to return to the most wonderful group of girls and continue building the school’s WISH program. We describe WISH as a life skills and women’s empowerment class that all students partake in once a week. From my viewpoint, and
There may be drought in other parts of Kenya, but in the Daraja area there have been record rains. On Friday morning, the river that flows near the Daraja campus overflowed its banks for the first time since 1997 after the water level raised about 16 feet higher than usual. The bridge that connects the Daraja
Unveiling one of their biggest projects to date was a big highlight for the art club and all the Daraja girls. Earlier this month members of the club finished painting the Daraja gate, plans for which were started back in June when students from Marin Academy were on campus. The Daraja girls worked
For many of the girls, a highlight of this past term was when four ladies from Nairobi visited campus to talk about their lives, their careers and their experiences as women in Kenya. It was one of the first times Daraja has had Kenyan women volunteer their time and experience to the girls.
End of term– Once again, the girls loaded up several minibuses, hugged each other goodbye and set off for the journey home for the holidays. They completed their finals on Tuesday and spent the rest of the week getting themselves organized for their vacation, playing sports and doing special WISH (Women of Integrity, Strength and
The Daraja girls didn’t want to sit back and watch the results of the Girl Effect Challenge come in. They wanted to take part in the campaign and know that they were doing everything they could to help their school. The girls followed the results every day and could rattle off the top
It's the last week before final exams begin! The girls are deep in review classes and study hall, but still saving some time for a few extracurriculars! New pen pals in Tanzania – Volunteer Sarah Montgomery, who’s studying at the Arcadia Center for East African Studies, arranged for the girls to write letters to high
"In Kenya, 1.6 million girls are high school dropouts. If they could finish their secondary education, they would make 30% more money- and contribute $3.2 billion to the Kenyan economy every year. Or – they could become one of Kenya’s 204,000 adolescent mothers instead, and lose the economy $500 million a year. A three billion
When the girls graduate from Daraja, we expect some will go on to university while others will go back to their communities to find work or start a business. Going home will reunite them with their families and friends, but also return them to some of the same challenges they faced before starting high school
The girls are getting excited about being involved in a global campaign for girls, plus enjoying time with new volunteers and relaxing after their midterms. Girl Effect fever hits Daraja! – The girls have been following the Girl Effect Challenge with a poster in the dining hall that gets updated daily. They love following Daraja’s
If you follow this blog, then you know the power of the Daraja students. And by winning the Girl Effect Challenge, we will get an even bigger audience paying attention to these remarkable girls. The Girl Effect is a campaign launched by the Nike Foundation. It has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes
