Daraja: The Dream

It takes courage and strength to lead, but I admit love plays a bigger role instead. When I was young, my answer to a person who asked me what my dream was “hey! I didn’t dream last night,” funny right? That’s history now because as it is today, I have a dream and the validity of my dream is higher because of the dream of a dreamer who dared to dream. At the age of eleven, Jason Doherty (the founder of Daraja Academy) visited Africa along with his lovely parents, the visit was short but enough to grab the attention of the little boy, who ended up falling in love with this native land. The love was big enough to make him sing, talk, dream, write about Africa, not forgetting the paintings all over his room.

Surely what you say is what you possess, as a change maker, Mr. Jason desired to make a difference in one way or another, and as years went by it carried along with the noble cause that started right in 2006 until it was put in place in 2009. This is the actual time when Daraja Academy- a fully sponsored girls secondary school, was started in Nanyuki, Kenya. This was not an easy task to do, but with the love and support from his loving wife Miss Jenni, the saying nothing is impossible, the word itself means impossible was very realistic.

My classmates might define love as L-Lets; O-Only; V-Value; E-Education, but I feel there is more to it, love works hand in hand with support and sacrifice. Miss Jenni, a remarkable woman, leaves her dream of having many children in order to support her dear husband. I do call her an outstanding woman, for this, she was able to kill two birds with one stone because today she has nearly 200 children whom she loves equally and have done her proud in the same way. Mr. and Mrs. Doherty along with the well wishers have been able to produce many changemakers and grassroot leaders who have grown their wings academically. Most of the girls have great leadership positions in their communities and universities. All this is possible due to the life skills and leadership skills taught in WISH classes. This stands for Women of Integrity Strength and Hope. Today Daraja has been able to prove the words said by Margaret Thatcher: “A woman is like a tea bag, you only know the strength when you put her in hot water.”

-She believed she could so she did.