Educate a Girl | Kenya

EDUCATE THE GIRLS, CHANGE THE WORLD

Women are some of the world's greatest untapped resources. Though they represent over half of the global population, they account for two-thirds of the world's poorest citizens and two-thirds of the world's illiterate population. In the remote Pokot district of Kenya, girls have been neglected, overlooked, and forced into marriage at an early age. Born into patriarchal societies, they are unable to make decisions within their own families and subject to the control of their husbands. For many girls, school is not an option. Whether due to access issues in the remote area or not having the money to travel to schools further away, many drop out during their primary school years.

Educating women is the best way to tackle gender inequality and discrimination. When girls stay in school and finish secondary education, they are able to flourish: living longer lives, earning higher wages, marrying at a later age, and having fewer, healthier children. Building an all-girls school in Pokot will be a big step to giving them a future outside of gender violence, child marriage, and female genital mutilation (FGM), all too common to the girls who came before them.

Mission ONE Partners in Kenya plan to construct an all-girls high school so that the girls in Pokot will have a dedicated space where they feel safe to learn and study. The school will be a joint initiative between the community, government, and

church. While the government will provide the teachers, staff, and pay their salaries, the community will cover the fees for tuition, food, and school supplies. Meanwhile, the church will provide spiritual care so these women come to know their identities as beloved daughters of God. The nature of the partnership aims to create buy-in between all groups to ensure the school is successful and socialized within Pokot.

This school will not only educate girls in basic subjects, but it will also educate them on topics such as forced marriage, early pregnancies, FGM, and joblessness in the community. After four years of high school, the girls will be able to pursue a college education and have the same job opportunities as boys. These girls will be a major asset to their families, society, and their nation. They will be teachers, nurses, and artisans of all kinds who transform the community from the inside out. Normalizing girls’ education in Pokot will also change the way that girls are perceived in the community, shifting generational cycles of poverty, violence, and gender discrimination.

O U R G O A L S

Together with the community, Mission ONE Partners have selected the land for the school and are acquiring the building materials with the goal of opening in the fall of 2021.

Our goal is for 75% of the girls who attend the school to graduate and pursue higher education after high school.

100% of the girls who attend the school will be educated on pregnancy at an early age, FGM, teen marriage, and how to share this information in their own communities.