Project Title: Empowering Marginalized Girls in Rural Kenya

Location: Kenya

Grant Amount: $50,000

Grantee Website: www.kakenyasdream.org

Areas of Impact: Education & Literacy, Gender Equality, Health, Leadership Development, Safety and Security

Mission of Kakenya’s Dream
The mission of Kakenya’s Dream is to invest in girls from rural Kenya through educational, health, and leadership initiatives to create agents of change.

Summary
The purpose of this project is to educate and empower marginalized girls who are at risk of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage, and provide them with access to a holistic high school education, which would not otherwise be available to them.

The Kakenya Center for Excellence II is a full support all-girls’ boarding school in Narok County for grades 7 to 12. This is a critical age for girls as they face intense pressure to drop out, undergo FGM/C, and marry young. The program provides the opportunity to nurture and release the potential of young women and creates a space for gender equality in a community that has a long history of female oppression.

Why We Love This
Kakenya’s Dream is an experienced organization with a strong local program and impressive results. We love that the organization is run by a Maasai woman and that it offers a comprehensive program that empowers and educates at-risk girls.