“Educating a girl helps in economic growth, saves lives, and builds strong families. Girls are empowered to see themselves as leaders and agents of change”

– Hadija Hussein, Class of 2012.

In Swahili, Daraja means bridge. Daraja provides a transformative and holistic secondary education for Kenyan girls who have no other means to attend school. It creates a bridge to empowerment, leadership, well-being, independence, and a lifetime of opportunity for all Daraja girls.

When girls have access to education and the ensuing opportunities, there is a ripple effect of positive outcomes.

Yet globally today, more than 98 million adolescent girls are not in school. That is a lot of empty desks—and a lot of dreams cut short.

Girls’ Education and Global Economic Impact

Sending more girls to school and into the workforce can boost a whole nation’s economy. Lack of girls’ education and the inability to complete 12 years of education costs countries at least $15 trillion in a lifetime of lost productivity and earnings.

Gender-based research explains that women who have a high school education earn twice as much as those with no education. Educated girls can make better decisions for their families, lowering the rates of child mortality and malnutrition,and nearly-eliminating child arriage.

When 130 million girls are unable to become engineers or journalists or CEOs because education is out of their reach,our world misses out on trillions of dollars that could strengthen the global economy, public health, and stability. If leaders are serious about building a better world, they need to start with serious investments in girls’ secondary education.

– Malala Yousafzai, Malala Fund
co-founder and Nobel laureate.

Educating Girls and Slowing Climate Change

Girls’ education and family planning are integral components of resilience to climate change and the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An analysis of 125 countries showed that girls’ education is the strongest indicator for increasing
global capacity to cope with climate change. Educated girls and women are better equipped to protect themselves and their families from natural disasters like floods and droughts. When a girl receives a leadership-focused education, she is better equipped to encourage political and civil society participation in climate change initiatives.

Fostering a More Peaceful World

An educated girl is more likely to become a productive community member. The concept of a “Feminist Foreign Policy” suggests that a world run by women would be a more peaceful place. But,there are not enough women in power to prove that theory. When a girl living in poverty does not receive a high school education, she cannot participate in public office and cannot change the very structures that prohibit her education.

The world needs more educated girls to expand economies, reduce climate change, and exist in
peace.

DARAJA’S SOLUTION

Daraja Academy, a Kenyan boarding high school for girls living in poverty, fosters social change. With a focus on rigorous academics, transformative leadership education, and a culture of peace, Daraja graduates are well-equipped to become the type of leaders needed today.

Daraja graduates overcome an in-country unemployment rate of 24% as they get jobs within three months of college graduation and earn three times the national average. As adults, they complete an average of 84 hours of community service each year.

Twenty-five percent of these graduates hold elected or nominated leadership positions in universities, associations, and churches/mosques. They are prepared to lead a society that is emerging from patriarchy.

When a Daraja girl is employed, she contributes 20% of her income to her parents, thus raising the economic status of her family. Adhering to strong personal finance practices, she puts another 18% of her salary into savings. She determines when and with whom to start her family, 2.7 years later than the national average of 20 years.

A Daraja graduate breaks the cycle of poverty in her family, contributes to the GDP of Kenya, and acts as a leader within her community.

If the other 97 million teen girls across the world who are currently out of school were able to attend a high school like Daraja, then 420 million people would be lifted out of poverty, reducing the number of poor worldwide by more than half.

An empowered, educated girl champions climate security, financial stability, and reproductive rights. She is a community leader who earns consistent wages, ensures the economic stability of her family, and models integrity. She is changing much more than the lives of her neighbors. She is changing the world just by being herself. Girls’ education is a global solution!