Educate girls and fight poverty in Kenya

Women’s Global Education Project (WGEP) is strengthening its work in Kenya through a new partnership with the Strong Maasai Ladies Association (SMALA), a grassroots women-led organization based in Kajiado County. This collaboration directly supports the core goals of our GlobalGiving project: ensuring girls stay in school, reducing poverty, and protecting vulnerable children from harmful practices that undermine their education and futures.

In many Maasai communities, poverty, early marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remain major barriers preventing girls from continuing their education. Women also face limited economic opportunities and high rates of gender-based violence, which further entrench poverty at the household level. SMALA was founded by local Maasai women who intimately understand these challenges and work daily to address them through education support, safe shelter, mentorship, and economic empowerment.

Since SMALA first launched, the organization has already begun to help strengthen school retention for girls at risk of FGM and early marriage, expanded outreach to families and elders, and provided skills-building opportunities for young mothers. Their community-based approach is essential in regions where cultural norms and economic hardship intersect, limiting girls’ chances of completing school.

Through this partnership, we are reaching deeper into remote communities where girls experience persistent obstacles to education. Our combined efforts are improving school access, enhancing women’s economic resilience, and reducing the systemic barriers that keep families in poverty. When girls remain in school, they gain the tools to break cycles of poverty not only for themselves, but for their entire communities.

Links:

• http://womensglobal.org
• https://www.youtube.com/@marysupeetshow/

One of the things that makes WGEP so special is that we provide wraparound support for our scholars! This approach focuses on educational access and retention, skill-building, and community engagement, and addresses the intersecting factors that impede gender equality. We believe that when girls are empowered, entire communities thrive. That’s why we don’t just support girls—we engage their families, local leaders, and village elders in the fight for gender equity.

In Kenya, our local partner TWWP continues to bring parents into this work. In February, 179 mothers and fathers participated in sessions focused on supporting their children’s education. These gatherings emphasized how parents can strengthen school performance, monitor progress, and use school resources effectively. They also addressed broader challenges like hunger and child labor, promoting shared responsibility between families and the education system.

Parents were also encouraged to join TWWP’s Adult Information Centers to strengthen their own literacy skills, empowering them to better support their children and actively participate in school development. TWWP runs sessions for adult learners in 25 centers and reached 1,093 learners this spring. The sessions also introduced families to the new Tharaka Library & IT Centre, encouraging them to take advantage of the free resources available.

Together, we are building a holistic community of support for girls and their families as they champion gender equity!