Recently, Daraja girls had the opportunity to sign up for a social entrepreneurship class held for two months each Sunday. A total of 19 girls enrolled in the class, called the “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” seminar. The class is being taught by a new volunteer, Trevor, who recently spent several months in Uganda creating a coffee cooperative.

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Trevor came to Daraja because he believes that linking entrepreneurship and girls’ education is a key to international development. He loves working with Daraja students, who are currently working in small teams to participate in his Innovation Challenge—taking an ordinary object, a 30-egg tray made of recycled pulp, and looking at it in an extraordinary way. Ideas range from sustainable beaded jewelry to soundproofing and insulation.  The participants are also drafting business plans and will be pitching their innovation proposals to the other girls on campus. The students will then be voting on their favorite use of the recycled egg tray.

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Trevor is delighted to work with the girls and is eager to follow their achievements and progress. “I’m honored to serve students who are so driven and keen to learn. I admire their bandwidth—the girls of Daraja are extremely resourceful and pensive. Plus, it’s always nice being greeted with their hugs each day. Their intellect and compassion have made my work here unmatched in value—it feels very rewarding to be a member of the Daraja family.” The girls are thrilled to be taking his class, too. Alice A., a Form 4, signed up for his class in order “to be able to find ways in which I can set up a business and be able to run it smoothly, and learn to face any risk that comes across.” “I like this class because it opens one’s mind to different opportunities in business,” she explained.

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