A complete ecosystem for lifelong leaders.
Five programs that carry a girl from enrollment through leadership.
Transition Program
Because the gap between the exit exams and the first day of college or university can stretch to six months or beyond, Daraja created the Transition Program. The Transition Program at Daraja is a 4-month life-skills and entrepreneurial training program that prepares Daraja graduates for college, careers, and long-term community service. Graduates learn professional skills and participate in an internship.
The Daraja Transition Program prepares students to face an economy with a 24% unemployment rate for youth. Graduates become competitive, marketable players that gain employment within three months of completing higher education and earn three times the national average.
“Through the Transition Program I was taught entrepreneurship skills. I have been able to start my own small business that supplements my monthly salary.”
“Learning financial literacy in the Transition Program has enabled me to know the best way to keep my accounts going and to bring in more profits.”
“I am always able to communicate effectively in formal or informal situations and get help or assist where need be. The Transition Program was an eye-opener for me. I am grateful I got to be part of it.”
Daraja Girls School
Daraja Girls School provides a safe place for girls who would not have access to a high school education any other way. It is a beacon of hope, safety, and future promise for marginalized girls to grow their innate leadership skills. Daraja provides a rigorous academic program to prepare girls for the KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) national exams and future admission to college and university. But the core program, centered on a culture of peace, distinguishes Daraja from every other high school.
“We are one Kenya”
Students are selected based on need, academic scores, and leadership potential. With a diverse student population from 47 counties, students embody the phrase “We are one Kenya”.
The “heart of Daraja”
Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope is a 4-year leadership and empowerment program developed at Daraja Girls School. It is the “heart of Daraja” and the backbone of character development for girls to grow and ignite positive change as they become the grassroots leaders of tomorrow.
Dreams within reach
The Daraja mentorship and counseling program assists all girls, especially those who have experienced trauma, to move towards healthy relationships and achievable goals. Robust mentorship from staff, teachers, and alumnae encourages students to reach for their dreams.
Paying it forward: community service
Every girl admitted receives a full 4-year scholarship and commits to “pay forward” her sponsorship by providing 60 hours of community service each year. Daraja girls from all over Kenya volunteer in hospitals, churches, and schools to become role models and leaders in their communities.
“Daraja transformed me. Over five years, it turned a shy, naive girl into a confident and empowered young woman.”
“Daraja gave me the chance to change my story and now I’m helping others do the same.”
“At Daraja, I discovered a new world of possibilities. Surrounded by mentors and teachers who believed in me, I found confidence, resilience, and purpose.”
Alumni Mentorship
The Alumni Mentorship Program is a sisterhood of Daraja graduates. They return to their roots on Mentorship Days where they listen to speakers and receive training and guidance in their professional aspirations. In turn, they mentor their younger sisters still in high school. The alumni are part of a Family Tree from the time they enter the Daraja gates, and they take on the sacred responsibility to mentor their younger sisters.
Through social media, WhatsApp, and phone calls, alumni share internships and job opportunities. They cheer each other on as they graduate from college and university, get married, or have their first child.
“An educated girl will always return to those who helped her and show appreciation.”
“When you educate a girl she will give it back to the community she came from. Girls don’t forget where they come from and as they say, ‘you educate a girl you educate the whole world.’”
W.I.S.H.
Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope
Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope (WISH) is a 4-year leadership and empowerment class developed at Daraja Girls School.
The curriculum was designed in response to needs demonstrated by girls attending the school. Some of these girls experienced emotional and physical trauma, forced migration, or gender-based discrimination. Based on the results of needs assessments and research, student-centered lessons were designed to support the students’ growth.
Implemented over four years, the WISH program equips learners with skills to develop a positive sense of self-identity, effectively communicate with others, practice leadership, and become a changemaker.
The Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope program is the backbone of character development. Through WISH, girls grow and become the grassroots leaders of tomorrow to ignite positive change.
“I went through the W.I.S.H. program and learned that I have an identity that goes beyond my name and where I come from. I discovered my career potential, my personality, and my rights.”
“Daraja has been my door to opportunities. While there, I participated in public speaking and debate competitions that gave me the knowledge and skills to contribute to important conversations.”
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