Cell Phones and Wellness Checks

GIVING TUESDAY SUCCESS
Giving Tuesday is a world-wide phenomenon that usually falls at the end of the year. But in light of the global crisis, it was moved up. Daraja is thankful to report that on Tuesday supporters and friends worked hard to raise $8,000! Most of which was raised by those participating in the annual Race for Daraja. 

TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERY GIRL
Daraja is acquiring a simple smart phone for every girl to use at home. With access to technology, students can work closely with teachers and classmates remotely. This change has created a chance for teachers to innovate in their digital classrooms. Most have adopted the flipped classroom model, which means the girls go through a teacher-curated lesson on their own before “gathering” as a class to discuss and ask questions. Imagine traveling to an impoverished village in Kenya only to find a girl using a smart phone to continue her education with her sisters all around the country. Powerful!

HOME LIFE FOR GIRLS IN POVERTY 
Daraja’s biggest concern is for the safety and health of girls at home. Teachers are conducting regular wellness checks on girls, and we’ve discovered an interesting pattern: Form 4 (senior) girls are in much better situations at home than Form 1 (freshman) girls.

Why? Daraja teaches girls how to be leaders, and they teach their families. By the time a Daraja girl is in Form 4, her family has learned to respect her voice and hear her ideas. When our Daraja families embrace the wisdom and creativity of their educated daughters, they secure a more stable income and have a happier and healthier home life.

We’ve gotten reports from girls (especially Form 1’s) that sound like a description of their lives before getting accepted to Daraja—going without food, spending all day farming instead of studying, and experiencing domestic violence. We are staying very connected to each girl and her parents during this time. When a student calls in under distress, we work with the girl and her family to make sure she is safe and that they all get enough to eat.