Our Work and Impact
Education transforms lives.
Where We Work
We envision a future where every girl in Kibera has a safe place to learn and live.
Kibera is the largest informal settlement in Africa. It is a diverse and vibrant community full of caring and hardworking individuals and families. However, Kibera faces many challenges including high unemployment, poverty, overcrowding, and insecurity. It is underserved by health, education, and sanitation services and many homes do not have reliable access to water and electricity.
Kibera’s schools face overcrowding, undereducated teachers, and high teacher attrition, The schools lack the resources to provide necessities including school lunch, water, and sanitary pads. Due to high costs of school fees and materials, many students cannot afford to go to school. For the few families that can afford to send their children to school, young boys and men take priority over girls and women.
We believe in the power of educating women and girls in Kibera and you should too.
Kenya
Kibera
Africa's largest informal settlement
Underserved by health, education, and sanitation services. Many homes do not have reliable access to water or electricity.
Most people in Kibera work as skilled and semi-skilled laborers in Nairobi.
Overcrowding is a problem – most families live in a shelter that’s 10 x 10 feet for 6-8 people or more.
Population of almost a million people in the size of Central Park in NYC
What We Do
Secondary Education
KGSA provides a free, holistic high school education to 150 girls this year. The school emphasizes leadership and character development through extracurricular activities and employs university- trained teachers, setting it apart from other schools in Kibera.
Youth Development
The KGSA experience encourages soccer, after-school clubs, and life skills training. We partner with other organizations to provide mentors and leadership programs on a variety of important topics.
Health & Wellness
KGSA cares for the whole girl by providing sanitary pads, school tea and lunch, preventative and acute health care, and a social worker to support their mental health. The new dormitory provides three meals a day and a safe, stable learning environment. In 2023, KGSA is boarding 90 girls. We hope to expand to all students in the future.
Higher Education & Career Support
KGSA and its partners provide scholarships for alumnae to pursue higher education. Depending on their high school final exam results, girls can qualify for a four year bachelor's program, a diploma degree, or vocational training. In 2022, KGSA launched a new alumnae association to better connect with our graduates.
Our Impact
Over 370 Students Graduated
KGSA has graduated 376 students with more than 80 pursuing higher education like vocational training, a diploma degree or a four year university program.
2+ Years Above Average KCSE Exam Scores
In 2018 and 2019, KGSA seniors beat the national average on the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam.
100% Qualification for Higher Education
Since its first graduating class in 2010, 100% of KGSA seniors have passed the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam and graduated high school.
1st 100% Free Kenyan School
When the school opened in 2006, it was the 1st 100% FREE school for girls in Kenya.
Pandemic Response
At-Home Learning and Support
When schools closed in Kenya from mid-March 2020 through December of 2020, the KGSA staff quickly pivoted to at-home learning. Teachers prepared weekly academic packets and practice exams for the girls to work on at home. Throughout the pandemic, KGSA continued to pay its teachers and support staff their full salaries. The new social worker Madame Jedidah checked in with each girl and addressed her health and physical needs. The school’s emergency fund was dispersed to help families hit hardest by the pandemic.
Food Distribution
When the unemployment rate skyrocketed in Kibera, many KGSA families were at risk of going hungry. Thanks to your generosity, KGSA provided food, soap and cooking oil to KGSA students, alumnae, soccer players, staff and their families.
Life Skills Training
In October 2020, the lower classes participated in life skills classes like catering, tailoring, photography and cosmetology. These two-hour activities in small groups twice a week provided a healthy meal and a much-needed social lifeline for the girls who missed their teachers and classmates. When in-person school resumed in January 2021, KGSA continued these popular activities during its after-school programming.
