Welcome to Nairobi! We’ll pick you up from the airport and take you to the luxurious Fairview Hotel where you’ll meet the rest of your party. Spend the evening exploring the city, or head to bed early in preparation for a big week!

We’ll spend the morning exploring Nairobi, visiting the incredible David Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary, and collecting souvenirs at the legendary Kitengela Hot Glass. We’ll hit the road in the early afternoon and head for Daraja, stopping in Karen for a meal. When we get to campus, you’ll have time to settle into your accommodation (a traditional banda) before setting off on a campus tour with a Daraja girl – now your Daraja guide! She’ll tell you about her daily life at Daraja and introduce you to her “family tree.”

Today, you’ll walk in the footsteps of a Daraja girl. A local will give you a tour though Mara Moja, a nearby village, ending in a home visit for traditional chai and chapati. We’ll then visit a class at the Ol Girigiri Primary School, so you can experience what elementary school was like for most of the Daraja girls. We’ll return to campus to have lunch with the students where you’ll sit with your Daraja guide and the rest of the girls in her family tree! In the afternoon, you’ll go on a short hike with your Daraja guide and have the opportunity to hear about her own journey to Daraja. 

Today, we will take a field trip to the Twala Cultural Manyatta, a co-op run by Maasai women. This will include a baboon walk, a tour of the aloe vera and bee farms, traditional Maasai songs and dance, and the opportunity to buy beautiful hand-beaded souvenirs directly from the women who make them. We’ll then return to campus so you can have an exclusive dinner with Daraja Academy’s administration, including Principal Victoria Gichuhi and Dean of Academics Charles Mbuto. This is a great chance to ask questions and learn more about the school from the people who manage it.

Wake up early for a beautiful sunrise hike around campus, and then get ready to volunteer! Several different volunteer projects will be available; if you already have something in mind, let us know! In the afternoon, you’ll have the chance to attend and participate in Daraja’s unique WISH (Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope) class.

After breakfast, you can attend one of the optional “Spiritual Time”(Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim) services around campus. Attend your own religious service, or experience another. Even nonreligious visitors have raved about the incredible music and the chance to hear girls tell their own stories in a group setting. After Spiritual Time, it is sadly time to pack up and say goodbye (for now!) to the Daraja girls. We’ll leave for a safari at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy where we’ll stay at the beautiful Sweet Waters Serena Camp.

We’ll spend the whole day going on game drives at Ol Pejeta Conservancy! We’ll be looking to see each of the “Big 5” in one of the most famous conservancies in Kenya. You’ll never forget the wildlife, but you’ll be equally amazed by the incredible landscape. This day is a true highlight for most Daraja visitors.